Wolf's Bane
by TINK1282
Summary: The creatures we fear the least may be the ones to hurt us the most... changed by heartache and betrayal, InuYasha's new front may mask his true feelings, until three years later when there's a new girl in school... who just might change him back.
1. Attack

**This little tidbit of info will apply to this and all chapters in the story **_**Wolf's Bane**_**. This story is mine, these characters are mine, and all that jazz. So don't steal, please? Por favor? Onegai? Ha. Chapter names belong to bands, though. Not me. **

**Chapter 1: Attack**

**Attack: 30 Seconds To Mars (check it out. Good song****J****)**

Sharp fangs protruded over lips pulled back in an angry snarl, white foam collecting around the mouth. A rabid wolf that's territory was being invaded by two careless humans out for a hike. Ridiculous. It took a step towards the shaking couple, legs bent slightly and prepared to attack. Almost a crouch, a wholly aggressive position.

The couple was too shocked to move, not even able to take a step back. Absolutely frozen in fear, they couldn't even open their mouths to scream. Pathetic much? The wolf growled; a deep, guttural noise, gold eyes flashing in rage. It sprang, the woman jumping in front of her lover to save his life. The man stood there in shock, obviously not knowing what was going on. In truth, his mind was screaming at him, '_Move! Move!'_, but the body was unable.

Reality snapped in and he screamed, seeing her body getting torn apart by the hungry, crazy wolf. He turned and ran, hearing her agonizing screams miles away. His voice was but a whisper on the wind as he turned back, the figures barely discernable in the snow. "Koishii… I promise you… I won't ever forget."

!!

He awoke in a cold sweat, the memories flashing through his eyes. He shouldn't have survived; he should have stayed by her side and died with her. After all those promises… It had been three years. Three fucking years! And what did he have to show for that? Nothing but a single scar running up his arm, where her nails had pierced his skin when she shoved him out of the way. _She_ died saving _his _life. And he turned and ran.

Today would have been the day of their six-year anniversary. He had been 15 at that time, her 14. They had been so young… she had died _so fucking young. _He shook his head out of his trauma induced stupor. No use dwelling on the past. He sighed, running his fingers through his white locks. It would be so much easier to forget. But honestly, he didn't want to forget. Didn't want to forget her smiles, the ease the fit into his arms, her witty comments at every single thing that he said. His first love…

He sighed again and forced himself out of his messy bed, grabbing a pair of black faded jeans off the floor and a black t-shirt off the top of the antique dresser. He scratched his head and walked in the kitchen, pausing to kiss his step-mother, Nagami's cheek. She didn't even glance up from her black coffee and burnt toast, just staring at the newspaper dimly. Never was much of a morning person, that woman.

"Morning mom."

She grunted, taking a sip of the black coffee. He grinned. "It's morning before school… aren't you going to give me the daily lecture?"

She shrugged, flipping her long brown hair off her shoulder. "You want the lecture? The past 5 years you've constantly reprimanded me on how I lecture too much and now that I'm not you _want_ the lecture? What is wrong with you child?"

He laughed, gold eyes twinkling. "I'm in a pretty good mood now. Where's dad?"

She sighed, pointing her finger behind her, in the direction of their open backyard. He could faintly see the shadow of his father, a tall muscular shadow… as their dad was bordering 7'5, slamming something down on their shed. "He's working on the shed. He said something about a shingle falling off or something like that. I couldn't hear him over the frequent cursing. He just grabbed the hammer and left."

'_So that's what he's banging… and here I was hoping it was mom's overly-used brain. Ah well, wishes don't always come true.' _

"No good morning kiss?"

She scoffed, turning her attention back to the week old newspaper. "Go to your room."

He grinned, lifting his hands in mock surrender. "I'm going I'm going… really mom though, go take a shower or something. You look depressed."

He laughed and ducked, narrowly missing the now empty coffee mug she threw at his head. It shattered against the wall and he chuckled. "You know if that hit my head I could sue for child abuse."

She glared at him, grabbing the broom to pick up the pieces and pointing a thin finger in the direction of his room. "_Go _InuYasha."

He sighed and nodded, trailing off down the hallway. It was so amusing to pick on his mom in the morning, normally she was so bright and cheery, but in the mornings she was like a completely different person. He sometimes wondered if she was bi-polar… He walked in his bathroom and grabbed his brush, pulling it through his knotty hair. He sighed and slipped in the lip ring and grabbed his messenger bag before walking out the front door, calling one last cheerful goodbye to his mother. He heard a large object thud off the door and he laughed. _'Trying to kill me again? Damn…she gets worse every year!' _

He got in his car, a 2000 Mustang, and drove off to school. He got to school a minute before the bell rang, but needed 5 extra minutes to get to _class_. The teacher would just have to deal. Stupid teacher. They're so judgmental. You're late one day and they automatically assume you're a rebel kid who only comes to school for government purposes. Or was that just women in general? He wondered…

"Now class, remember to always--…" She cut herself off when the door slammed open and the student walked in, sitting down in the back.

"Finally decided to come to class Mr. Takahashi? An apology would be nice…"

He shrugged. "I guess it would be." She glared at him and sighed, returning to her textbook in hand as she started to teach. He laid his head down and was about to doze off when the door swung open again. He raised his head, staring at a stunning new student, her bright blue eyes downcast. She shuffled her feet nervously and smiled at the teacher. "I'm so sorry I'm late! I'm new here, and didn't really know my way around the school…"

"That's fine dear. Your name please?"

"Oh!" She gasped and blushed, finger catching onto her belt loop. "Sorry... it's Kagome Higurashi."

Mrs. George nodded and smiled. "Just take a seat anywhere. These kids are sweet. Except for that one in the back there… don't hang with him, he's a real pain."

"Oi!" InuYasha glared at his teacher and she smiled teasingly.

"You know its true InuYasha. I think that's all you come to class for, to drive me insane."

He shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his seat. _'That's exactly what I'm talking about…I'm not a pain! Stupid bitch of a teacher.' _

"Well no wonder I'm failing if you think like that."

Kagome chuckled, hand coming to cover her mouth, though her shaking shoulders gave it away. She noticed the only seat available was the one next to this "troublemaker" and she wondered why. Not as if he wasn't good looking, he was gorgeous! Gold eyes and naturally pale skin slightly tanned by hours of hard work outside. Lean, muscular arms and a narrow waist with broad shoulders and tapered hips, stick straight white hair falling in his eyes at the right angle. It looked done, but you could tell it was more of a get up and go type thing. He had a lip ring in the middle of his lower lip and snakebites under the lip. He wore black smudged eyeliner and was wearing a dark black t-shirt with a red inscription across the front, _Norma Jean_. He wore black faded jeans with a few rips in them from working and playing, you could tell they weren't store bought that way. Her eyes drifted to his shoes, black Converse torn up from years of wear and tear, randomly written on. He even had _doggy _ears! She knew instantly he was either youkai or hanyou, wondering why he didn't conceal them from others. Normally they did.

Not normally the type of guy she would go for, but didn't her parents always tell her to keep her options open? He seemed pretty funny and _undeniably cute _too. He would probably make the devil cower in shame with the heat radiating off his body. She noticed that the girls would sometimes try to sneak glances back at him when they thought no one was looking. He didn't seem to notice, but she did. She ran her fingers through her long, black hair and took out her notebook to take notes. She was halfway down the page when she noticed the incessant tapping on her shoulder. She looked up, glaring at the person who had been tapping her shoulder, a black-haired male to her left. "What?"

"Are you busy this Saturday?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Depends on the occasion."

He grinned, bright white teeth flashing. He was cute too, with ice blue eyes and dimples. He wore a simple white shirt and faded light blue jeans, a pair of Nikes completing the ensemble. "A date maybe?"

She blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Uh...With me?"

"Yeah, you in?"

She was about to agree, no harm in it, when a strong arm pulled her back to the right. She glared at the grabby person who had yanked her away from the wolf. "Ow!"

InuYasha was glaring at the wolf-youkai and turned to her, his hand still wrapped around her arm. "Say no."

She yanked her arm back and narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"Because he's an asshole! All he wants is to get in your pants."

The wolf scoffed, leaning in his desk to whisper with them. "Don't even fucking talk, dog-shit! You've bedded more girls than Jews taken in by Hitler!"

InuYasha glared, crossing his arms under his chest. "That wasn't even fucking funny Kouga. Shut the fuck up and go running home to your alpha bitch." He whined the last word, never tearing his glare away. Kouga mimicked InuYasha's position, leaning over more.

"Dog-shit."

"Mangy wolf."

"BOYS!" The teacher yelled, coming over and smacking them both on the head with a ruler. Kagome giggled, turning back to her notes. "Settle down and save the fights for later! InuYasha and Kouga I am getting so sick of the overwhelming amounts of testosterone you boys like to display! It's annoying so please, _please_ let me get back to my lesson!"

Both boys gulped and nodded, taking out their notebooks and pens. Somehow Kagome sensed that this was just the start of a _very_ interesting year.

**A/N**

**Review? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Ick never mind I don't even like cherries ****J**** hahaaa**

**Seriously though… tell me what you think so far…**


	2. Bury Your Head

**Chapter 2: Bury Your Head**

**Bury Your Head: Saosin**

InuYasha stood at his locker, shoving his backpack in there as he had no homework for the night. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a beautiful girl with ebony hair walking by, capturing his attention over the myriad of beauties the school possessed. He snapped out of his gaze and ran after her, slamming his locker shut behind him.

"Oi bitch wait up!" He called after her, though she didn't turn. "Kagome!" At the sound of her name she turned, already outside, hand clutching her tan beret to keep it from falling off in the wind.

"Hi… InuYasha right?" She asked as he caught up to her, slightly out of breath. He grinned and straightened up, breathing suddenly becoming so much easier.

"Yep."

She raised an eyebrow and tapped her chin thoughtfully, black hair whisking around her head in the breeze. "That's a strange name."

His smile faded and he shrugged. "I'm Japanese, yours is strange too."

Her mouth fell and her eyebrows drew together in her confusion, ignoring the second thing he said. "In Chicago? Why…?"

"Yeah. Long story."

She smiled. "Ah. Well you don't look Japanese."

He grinned, and shuffled closer to her. "Is that a bad thing?"

She smiled and winked at him, sapphire eyes twinkling. "No of course not!" She grinned. "But I didn't say it was a good thing either."

His face fell and he looked completely appalled. She walked further ahead, turning and winking again. "What? Pretty boy can't handle the truth?"

He scoffed, pushing her slightly as they walked. "Of course I can _handle _the truth, wench. But I don't have to worry about your opinion… I've had plenty of girls comment on how great looking I am."

She rolled her eyes, bumping him playfully. "And you've had sex with them all?"

He nodded.

"And you don't know their names?"

He grinned. "I know some."

"Pathetic really."

His grin dropped immediately and he snorted. "How, bitch?"

She laughed, skipping ahead slightly, raven hair whipping behind her. "The only girls that wanted you were the whores. And that was just for your penis. Oh yeah, I have a name, you know. Maybe you should start using it."

He chuckled, gaining speed to catch up to her. "Keh. A very immense cock at that."

She wrinkled her nose, shoving him aside. "Ew."

"What?" He asked, walking close to her again, putting his arm around her shoulder. "You're not a virgin are you?"

She blushed and peeked at him out of the corner of her eye. "What's wrong with that?"

He laughed, throwing his head back, and tightening his grip on her. "Ever sucked a guy off?"

"Nope."

"Ever done _anything_?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

He ran his free hand through his hair and sighed, peeking down at the pretty girl in his arms. "Damn. You must be the only girl in Chicago…"

She shrugged, leaning onto him. "Probably."

!!

Norimi tied her thick brown hair in a ponytail as she worked on her petunias in the front yard. She heard an engine rev behind her and she turned and smiled at her son, waving him over. Her hand came up to wipe the dirt off her cheeks and she brushed off her slacks and half-embraced her "step"-son. "Hey hon, how was school?"

InuYasha shrugged, swinging his keys around his finger. "Normal I guess…"

She grinned knowingly. "Any girls that interested you? Besides the weekly ones you bed?"

He chuckled and flipped his hair out of his eyes. "There was one girl… her name's Kagome or something, and she's a _virgin_!" He said the word like it was a rarity, the kind of thing you only hear about every 10 centuries. Norimi smiled to herself. In Chicago, a girl in high school being a virgin _was _a rarity. She sighed.

"Will you please think with the head attached to your neck? If she's a virgin, either she's hideous, or she actually has good morals. And if she interested you in the slightest, she must at least be 10 levels above beautiful. I want to meet her."

InuYasha ignored her criticism on his choice of women and grinned. "I barely know her mom. As in, just met her today."

Norimi shrugged, turning back to the flowers. "Call her and invite her over for dinner."

He sighed, not wanting to admit the freakish truth to his mother. But at this rate, he would have to. "I… I don't have… I don't have her number." He squeaked out. He hated not knowing a girl's number right away, but he was too stupid to get it from Kagome. Somehow he forgot about it…

Norimi dropped the pot she was holding and it fell to the ground with a clatter. "You don't know her number yet? Wow Yash… that's a shock. Well, I'm proud of you bud. Tomorrow, ask her to come for dinner."

He sighed. "You seem to love her already."

She grinned and clapped her hands excitedly. "Of course! I haven't met a decent girl in _ages_!"

!!

He watched the sultry brunette walking off, adjusting her bra straps. He pulled his pants up and threw on his shirt, grinning in satisfaction. _'That was a good one… I might have to do her… gasp... again.' _He walked out from behind the bleachers and past the music room, stopping in his tracks when he saw a girl playing the violin beautifully. Her slightly wavy black hair was tied back in a loose ponytail secured with a green ribbon. She was wearing a maroon colored dress and had her eyes closed, biting her lip in subtle concentration. He walked in, leaning against the doorframe until she had finished playing, putting the violin back in its place.

" Hey bitch.You're actually good."

She jumped, just realizing he was there. She blushed and bit her lip. "I didn't think anyone would be here right now…"

He shrugged. "Best time to get laid is before school. Know where I can find any spare boxers? Mine are kinda dirty…"

She wrinkled her nose and shoved him out the door. "Ugh. Pervert."

He laughed and lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright… I'll calm down. Actually, I was going to ask if- if you were free tonight."

She grinned. "I'm always free, it's in the Constitution."

He chuckled. "Alright you got me there… are you busy tonight?"

"Not that I know of. Why?"

He grinned and walked back in, wrapping his arm around her slender shoulders. "I was going to ask if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight."

She sighed, and relaxed under his arm. "Fine… just so long as you keep the gorilla in its cage."

He grinned and laughed, leading her out of the music room. "Deal."

!!

"Who the hell are you?" The man asked, towering over her with dark brown eyes with tints of red in them. His upper lip was pulled back in an almost snarl and he stood, one hand on each side of the doorway. He looked to be about 7'5, and she could see his muscles rippling under his thin t-shirt.

Kagome blushed and gulped, twisting her fingers together. "Um… InuYasha invited me over for dinner…"

He scoffed and was about to let her in when he got shoved aside with an 'oof'. What she guessed was InuYasha's mother smiled warmly and extended her hand, shooing her husband out of the room. "Don't worry about him. Ichiro's got this perverse pleasure with scaring people. But just for that… he'll be sleeping on the couch for a _week_. I'm Norimi by the way."

"Kagome. Nice to meet you." Norimi smiled warmly, shaking Belle's hand firmly. She led her into the dining room and sat Belle down at the head of the table, since she was 'their guest' as she put it. She grinned.

"The turkey's got about 5 minutes. Yash will be down in a minute, he had to freshen up from his last escapade. I'm pretty sure her name was Myra…" She shrugged and walked off, giving one last smile to the girl. Kagome blushed and ran her fingers through her hair, unsure about the normality of this family if InuYasha _told _his parents about his 'guests'. She just decided not to but in and idly played with the expensive-looking tablecloth, adorned in gold trim neatly complementing its rich green color. A slender glass vase was in the middle of the table, holding a bouquet of white freesias.

She glanced around the room, taking in more detail. Their was an ornate chandelier above the bouquet, glistening gold with silver raindrop lights, illuminating the soft beige walls with an air of elegance. There was a deep mahogany cabinet to her right, transfixed with glass panes, where you could see crystal figurines adorning the shelves. She shifted uncomfortably; there was no way she would ever invite InuYasha over to her _painfully average _house/shrine.

InuYasha walked in the room then and gave her a crooked smile, one dimple showing. His gold eyes twinkled and he raked a hand through his messy white hair. His red t-shirt hugged his body and she could practically see the hard abdomen underneath. His light jeans, tattered and torn, were tight on his hips, but loose the rest of the way down. He was wearing Batman slippers and she giggled slightly at the overly-large accessories.

"Hey, sorry I took so long. Worn out… if you know what I mean…" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and her nose wrinkled.

"Pervert." He sat down on the corner seat next to her, his knee brushing hers lightly. She blushed and crossed that leg over her other, folding her hands together in her lap. She just hoped he couldn't see how nervous she was getting just being next to him…

He didn't. Or if he did, he didn't say anything. He just sat up straighter and yelled out, "Mom! Where the hell's the food?!"

An expertly aimed plate flew out of the kitchen and would have smacked him on the head if he hadn't ducked at the last second. She heard a dry chuckle from the kitchen and couldn't stop her own giggle. InuYasha glared daggers at her, and she knew where he had inherited _that _look. Oh if looks could kill, she would have been dead multiple times already: impaled, stabbed, shot, tortured, beat… the list went on. She chuckled to herself, ignoring InuYasha's scowl.

"It'll be ready soon, have some patience! Goddamn you're worse than your father!"

The man being spoken of walked in just then and grinned at his wife, just emerging from the kitchen. He kissed her forehead lovingly and took the plate from her arms, setting it on the middle of the table. Belle's eyebrow's raised at the gesture, what had happened to the man she met at the doorknob? He had changed completely, not saying she liked the other better, of course! He turned his dark eyes towards her and his smile faded. "Where do you plan on going to college…?" He trailed off, and she remembered he didn't know her name yet.

"Oh, sorry! I'm Kagome."

"Kagome then. Well?"

Her cheeks heated when she realized she had completely forgotten his question. She gulped and knitted her hands tightly on her lap. "H-Harvard Law… s-sir.."

He laughed then, a great booming laugh, slamming his fist on the table. InuYasha laughed too, followed by Norimi's soft giggles. Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Um, was it something I said?"

Ichiro continued to laugh and then abruptly stopped, straightening up in his seat immediately. "_**Never**_, I repeat _never_, call me _**sir**_." His voice was icy and she gulped, cheeks boiling.

"O-okay…"

He grinned, stance relaxing. "I'm just messing with ya, call me whatever the hell ya want. Just not sir."

She smiled and nodded. "That works."

InuYasha grinned, grabbing a slab of turkey with his hands. "Enough small talk, let's eat! Mom, where the hell's the ramen?"

Norimi shook her head and threw a turkey leg at her step-son. "I didn't make ramen tonight, Yash, since we have a guest. You can live one night without ramen."

"Keh."

Glad the college conversation wouldn't be continuing (as if her mother didn't berate her about it enough!), she dug into the food, and marveled at the taste. The turkey was almost sweet, like honey. Creamy mashed potatoes practically melted in her mouth, loaded with enough butter to make her look 9 months pregnant. The rolls were soft and rolled over her tongue like liquid, hot and fresh off the oven. She gulped down her drink, green tea, and smiled at Norimi.

"Are you a professional? This is _delicious_!"

Norimi shrugged. "No… maybe it's just a Japanese thing…" She grinned. "I don't know what it is about American food that's so _tasty_! It's pretty much all I make, aside from batches of ramen for InuYasha here."

InuYasha shrugged and chuckled. "What? Ramen's amazing!"

Kagome giggled, hand covering her mouth as she whispered lightly, "I love ramen too." He grinned at her and winked, pushing his empty plate aside.

"Dessert time?"

Norimi sighed and stood, coming around and collecting all the empty plates. "Still hungry? My, my… at least I know you like the food. Ice cream or pie?"

Kagome's stomach growled at the thought of chocolate ice cream, with chocolate fudge, and maybe some chocolate chips? Norimi seemed to read her mind, because a few moments later, she came out with that exact delicacy, with _whipped cream_!

Kagome couldn't stop the slight moan that slipped out when the first bite of ice cream hit her mouth. She hadn't had it in ages it seemed, not since her 6th birthday. Back when her dad was still alive… she shook her head and savored the chocolatey taste. Who knew ice cream could be so delicious?

InuYasha watched her eat, watched her swirl her tongue around the tip of her spoon before her mouth closed on it and sucked it in. He stifled a groan, and winced at his throbbing member tucked away in his jeans. His damn, binding jeans. Her eyelashes would flutter closed and her shoulders would raise slightly, a deep inhale being heard. A slight smile would touch her lips when she had finished the bite, and her eyes would open, only to start the cycle all over again. It was all starting to be too much…

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to ignore his boner. Food and girls hadn't turned him on since Sophia, the foreigner who let him lick whipped cream off her naked, Latin body. He twitched. _'Fuck.' _He cleared his throat and excused himself to the bathroom, ignoring his parent's questioning glances when they saw the large bump in his pants. Thank Kami Kagome was too drunk in her ice cream to notice it…

!!

Kagome shrugged on her warm winter coat, letting InuYasha lead her out the door. "I had fun tonight. I like your family, they're… quirky."

He grinned and closed the door behind them, leading them to her centuries old silver Camaro. "I'm surprised. I thought you'd think they were a bit too queer or something."

She laughed, bright blue eyes sparkling. "I think it's cute."

He leaned down to give her a goodnight kiss and satiate some of his burning desire, but her head turned at the last second and his lips lingered on the soft skin of her cheek. _'What the hell?' _ He pulled back and looked at her blushing form, staring off into the night air.

"I'd better go." She muttered, slipping in the door of her car. He sighed and his shoulders drooped, his hand coming to rest in his pocket.

"Kagome…" He muttered, fighting the blush heating his cheeks. He used to be so scared of girls, that they would despise him because he was hanyou. But once he stopped telling people, the girls started coming. He hadn't been turned down since, and now that this girl had just rejected him… it brought back some of his fears

She shook her head and stepped on the gas, gone in a matter of seconds. He sighed again and ran his fingers through his hair, standing there for a few moments before walking inside. His mind gave him one last piercing thought before he walked inside: _'You're getting too attached.' _

His father sat on the couch, elbows resting on his muscular knees. "I can't believe she's making me sleep on the couch."

InuYasha grinned, sitting across from his dad on the dark leather ottoman. "Don't worry about it, only a week of back pains."

Ichiro glared at him, eyes darkening. "She was nice."

The hanyou shrugged, remembering all too well the kiss he was rejected. "I guess."

His dad sighed, raking his fingers through his dark brown hair. "You're not still hung up on Kikyo are you?" At the sight of his son's dejected look, Ichiro groaned. "Seriously Yash, it's time to move on. It's been 3 goddamn years!"

InuYasha cursed loudly and stood, as did his dad. He scowled, since now he wasn't towering over his father. At 6'8, he barely hit his dad's shoulder. "You think I don't want to?! It's been 3 fucking years, yeah, but what the hell?! You think I've forgiven myself yet?! It's my fucking fault!"

Ichiro shoved his son back on the ottoman. "Don't give me that fucking bullshit Yash! _She _jumped in front of you, it's not like you took her and fucking put her there!"

He scowled, jumping back up. "Yeah? Well sometimes it fucking seems like it." He turned and went to his room, the angry slam resonating throughout the house. He dreamt of her that night…

!!

_Kikyo tucked her dark black hair behind her ear and he thought he saw a blush in the night air, a rarity on her, holding her hand in front of her in confusion. InuYasha grinned and walked over to her, hugging her tightly. _

"_It's a promise ring. I'm gonna marry you someday."_

_  
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, thankful she was so tall. At 6'0, she barely had to reach up to Kenichi's current 6'2. The boy was growing like a beanstalk though, and she knew she would eventually have to start climbing up him. She smiled against his lips. "Love you Inu."_

_He grinned, arms tight against her waist. "I love you too, don't you ever forget that." He savored moments like this with her, where they could just stand and embrace, not needing to say anything. He knew this was really mushy, but he didn't care. Didn't Kikyo deserve it? He stroked her black hair, staring into her dark brown eyes that rarely showed emotion. He had to admit, they contrasted nicely with the sleek white of her skin. His hand dropped to her back and he massaged the middle lovingly, never looking away from her eyes._

_She kissed him again, hands fisting around his shirt like she would lose him if she let go. He heard the growling before she did, and he jumped, turning immediately. There it was; a wolf, coming to visit them on his human night when he couldn't protect her…_

!!

InuYasha woke up screaming. The day she died, leaving him with the terrible guilt of it all. Why? Because _he ran away_.

_**A/N**_

_**Review? Tell me what you think. I mean, why can't you? Is it honestly that hard to say a few words complementing me or giving me some constructive criticism? No flames please. **_

_**Reviews would be nicely appreciated **__**J**_


	3. It Dwells In Me

**Chapter 3: It Dwells in Me**

**It Dwells in Me: All That Remains**

InuYasha walked through the downtown park, touching everything as he walked past. The oak tree, the sunflowers, and he tried to touch the blue jay, but it flew away before he could. He watched it fly into the air and sighed, leaning against the oak. _'Sometimes I wish I could be a bird too. Then what? Then I could just forget everything. Kikyo. Kagome. Damn I need to stop thinking of that girl and her stupid black hair that reminds me so much of Kikyo. That's what I came here for right? To not think about her? Yeah, so no more thinking about her._

_Let's see… Squirrels. Yeah, squirrels are good. Squirrels are quick and kinda mean when they throw acorns at your head. I wonder if Kagome's ever been smacked in the head with an acorn?' _He groaned and stuck his hands in his jeans and started to whistle a tune, anything to get his mind off of-

"Kagome?" She looked up at him from where she lay on the ground and smiled.

"Hey Yash! What are you doing here?"

He shrugged and glared at the sky. The gods must hate him. "I could ask you the same thing…"

She sat up on her elbows and patted the spot next to her. He sighed and plopped down next to her, hands resting between his raised knees. Kagome grinned and tossed her hair over her shoulder before lying back down beside him. "Is it strange, that I like to come out here and just stare at the sky? You know, just to think?" She sighed. "Just to get away from it all…

Do you ever feel like that? Like you just want to be free for a few minutes, and think about everything going on so you can try and figure it out? Or is that stupid?"

He stretched and laid down beside her, resting his arms under his head. "It's not stupid… cuz I do it too. Even though on you, it makes it look kinda stupid."

She scowled at him, rolling onto her side. "Jerk. What do you think about?"

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and grunted. "You tell me first."

She giggled, and within seconds her face faded into one of seriousness. "I think about my family. My dad, he died when I was six, and my mom's been in chronic depression ever since. She's been sick lately too, like she can't even get out of bed. She used to try so hard to act normal, but it's taking over her. And my brother, he's got a new girlfriend who's always hanging around him. A foster kid, he convinced mom to let her live with us. She's older than him though, and she's cheating on him, I know it."

"How old is she?"

She sat up completely and rested her head on her drawn up knees. "My age. She goes to a private school now; I think she's scraping money off Souta. She's always bragging about the boys and the cute uniforms and all. I tried to tell Souta, but he freaked. And we don't fight a lot…"

He lifted his head slightly to get a better view of her. Her hair had fallen in her face and her arms were wrapped tight around her legs. He sat up, brushing the hair out of her eyes, moist with unshed tears. "What'd you say?"

"I just told him what I thought, and he said to stop judging her just because I hadn't had a boyfriend in ages and I was jealous." She scoffed. "Obviously she's more important than his family." A crystalline tear rolled down the flesh of her cheek and he wrapped his arms around her, leaning her against his chest, something he didn't do often. Normally it was meet a girl, fuck her, and leave her. For Kagome though, it was different. He shoved aside his insecurities and concentrated on making her relax.

"Now tell me what you think about."

He sighed, grasp relaxing on her slightly. "Kikyo."

She cocked her head to the side as well as she could, given their position, and frowned slightly. "Is that your… new girlfriend or something?"

He shook his head, melancholy drifting into his eyes. "Ex."

She didn't want to pry, but at the same time, she wanted to get that look out of his eyes. She wanted to see the grinning, teasing, sometimes perverted InuYasha she knew so well. "What's the story?"

He looked away from her immediately, not wanting her to see the absolute _rage _in her eyes or _disgust_. He let go of her, so she could leave him after he was done telling her. How would she react to him telling her he was a _murderer_?

"Three years ago… I was dating a girl named Kikyo. I called her Kiki, she fucking hated that name, I remember that. It was our three-year anniversary, and we were out in Colorado for the occasion. I gave her a promise ring, and told her I was gonna marry her. And then, then I heard the growling. Fuck…"

He put his head in his hands, and bit his cheek so he wouldn't cry. _Hell _no he wouldn't cry. He didn't cry. He gulped and raised his head at the ground, picking at the grass. "There was a wolf. It was rabid, foaming at the mouth and everything. And it was snarling, oh hell it was snarling. It jumped towards us, and Kikyo… she jumped in front of me."

Kagome's hand was on his arm instantly, goading him to continue. "It was… it was tearing her apart. And I- I just fucking ran. The girl I wanted to _marry_ one day… I fucking left her in the woods with that wolf. She never survived; it was on the news and everything. Trial came and went; I was innocent, because she jumped in front of me.

"That's what I think about. I should be over it by now shouldn't I? It's been three goddamn years and I still think about it." He peeked over at her, expecting her to smack him and walk off, calling him _disgusting_ or _a killer_. That's what he was wasn't he? He just wasn't expecting the silence. Tears were rolling down her face and she jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"I'm so sorry…but aren't you youkai? Couldn't you have done something?"

He shook his head and sighed. "I'm a… I'm a hanyou." He muttered, expecting her to leave. "And don't be sorry, it's not like it's your fault."

"Yash… I don't think there's anything wrong with you for being a hanyou. I bet you anything, she's up there…" She pointed to the sky and smiled wanly. "And she wants you to be happy."

He shook his head. "You- you don't think I'm a monster?" Even Kikyo… she was always talking about how their relationship had to be kept private, a hanyou and a miko couldn't be together… she said things would have been easier if he was just human like everyone else.

"No of course not! Tell me about her… please?" Her eyes were big and full of curiosity as she looked up at him and he sighed for the millionth time that day.

"I remember when we first met…

_Flashback…_

_InuYasha walked through the park, glancing around at all the couples. Damn he needed a life. And then he saw __**her**__. Dark black hair tied back in a ponytail reading a book about wolves. He walked over to her and grinned, running his fingers through his shaggy white hair._

"_Oi, whatcha readin?" _

_She looked up at him and grinned. "A book about wolves. They're my favorite animal." _

_He smiled and sat down next to her. "Mind if I take up space?"_

_She chuckled dryly and folded over the page of her book, brown eyes locking with his golden. "I don't care. Unless you smell bad of course."_

_He lifted his arms and inhaled, hoping she didn't see the subtle wrinkle of his nose. Ah well, he could always pretend. "Nope. Only the sweet smell of manhood."_

_She laughed. "You make it sound like you're horny."_

_He waggled his eyebrows and scooted closer to her, arm inching around her shoulder. "Maybe I am…"_

"_I doubt it."_

"_What makes you say that?" His eyebrows raised when she laughed again, cheeks flushing._

"_If you were horny, you'd probably have a boner. And unless you were a eunuch, those pants are tight enough that you could probably see it if it was an inch long. And I don't see anything so…" She trailed off and smirked at his slack-jawed expression._

"_Well I am definitely not a eunuch. And these pants are __**not **__that tight." When he thought she wasn't looking he pulled the jeans away from his skin a little, trying to loosen them up slightly. She smirked and he scowled._

"_I have to go, but I want to see you again."_

"_Here tomorrow same time?"_

_She nodded, and idly twirled her ponytail. "Just no skinny jeans… not befitting on you."_

_He laughed and she blew him a kiss. "Alright. See you."_

_End Flashback._

And I never wore skinny jeans again."

Kagome smiled and played with the flowers, picking some and then throwing them back down. "That's sweet. I've never had a guy care that much about me."

He looked over at her and gave her a half-smile, his one dimple showing. "Maybe you just haven't met him yet."

!!

InuYasha stepped out of the shower as soon as the door flew open. He stood there in shock, with his towel over his head, rest of his body in full view to the guest. She didn't seem to notice, and instead gave him a huge hug.

"Yash! Guess what, guess what? I… me… ME! I got accepted into Harvard! Can you believe it?!"

She jumped up and down in his arms, never letting him go. The door was still wide open, and Norimi happened to walk by at that particular moment. Her hand fluttered to cover her mouth and she laughed softly. "Uh Yash, have you realized you're still naked?"

Both turned bright red at that statement, neither having realized that little fact. She was turning redder by the second and she turned abruptly, hiding her face in her hands. He laughed, bending over and clutching his stomach.

He sat down, holding the towel between his legs, still howling in laughter. She turned and scowled at him, cheeks pinking again when she noticed he was still naked... though his main parts were covered, he had one hell of an anatomy... she blushed darker as not so clean thoughts invaded her mind, liquid heat pooling in her belly.

"Wh-what's so funny?" She stuttered out, hoping her cheeks weren't _too _red and that he couldn't smell her slight arousal.

He gripped his sides in laughter, causing the towel to slip a bit, uncovering more of his beautiful, muscular skin. She found that she couldn't look away though… his pelvic bones jutted into his hips, the abs glistening with small trails of water falling from his hair... his hair! Sleek and stick straight, water droplets sparkling. Her eyes dropped to his, and noticed he had stopped laughing and was staring at her, an amused glint in his eyes. He did indeed smell it… and he loved it.

"You done checking me out?"

"I wasn't checking you out! I was just... asking what was so funny..." She muttered, biting her lip.

"Hah. Sure. It's just... most girls that walk in on me naked normally pounce on me like I'm prey or something. You're the first girl who hasn't." He said it with awe, and she knew he truly meant what he was saying.

She sighed. _'Not that it wasn't tempting...'_

"Sorry if I'm not one of your weekly whores."

He chuckled. "Well in a way you did pounce on me I guess... Congrats by the way."

She smiled at him. "Thanks... I dunno, I wanted to tell someone, and you're... my… only...friend... here..." She confessed, cheeks burning red. It was true actually, she had acquaintances sure, but he was her only actual _friend_, not counting her boyfriend.

He grinned. "What a fucking honor. Make some friends, wench."

"Can you… uh… get dressed?" Her cheeks were still pink, but were starting to revert to their normal color as she got used to his _sexy _abdomen. She ignored his last comment, she couldn't be expected to make friends that quick! Plus, he was too sexy for her to yell at right now… she'd probably jumble her words and look all weird.

He stood, dropping the towel. "Sure."

Her cheeks flamed, but her feet were rooted to the ground. She couldn't look away… she unconsciously stepped a little closer and he grinned, his... thingie…saying its own little hello. She gasped, her cheeks practically on fire.

But she still couldn't turn away... it raised higher. He just stood there grinning, enjoying her reactions. She had obviously never seen an erection before..., unlike Kikyo who had had plenty of experience before him. Truth is, just seeing her staring at it was making his mind go wild, and he was seriously considering fucking her here on his bathroom floor. He cleared his throat and willed those thoughts to go away; she was a virgin for one thing…

"Can I get dressed or are you just gonna stare at it?"

She snapped back to reality and turned immediately, running out and shutting the door behind her. He laughed when he heard the sound of her sliding down the front of the door.

She sighed, head resting against the wall. _'Okay that was only majorly embarrassing... I mean... I like, threw myself on him!'_

She groaned. _'Not cool. I even saw his package!'_

She blushed when the image popped in her head_. 'Well if I got Christmas presents like that one I don't think I'd need any more Christmases...'_

Her blush darkened. "Okay mind, not what I need to be thinking."

InuYasha picked that moment to open the door, catching the gist of what she said. He grinned, getting a pretty good impression of what she was thinking by the intense blush on her face, her arousal, and when she looked over at him, her eyes didn't look at his face first. He grinned again, glad that he was still shirtless. Her eyes roamed over his chest, before resting on his face.

"Checking me out again?"

She scoffed. "No. Just ranking you against all the other boys I've seen shirtless."

She smiled up at his scowl. "I'm sure none of the guys you've seen had a body as great as mine."

She grinned again. "I dunno... I did date a few wrestlers..."

He scoffed. "I could take them down."

She stood up and laughed, hands on her hips. "Jealous much?"

He scoffed, blushing slightly. "Of course not." He lied, biting his cheek.

She shrugged. "Not like you'd have a reason to be of course..."

"Why not?"

"My boyfriend wouldn't like it."

"You have a boyfriend? Since when did this happen?" He winced inwardly, that came out sounding a lot more jealous than he wanted it too. Thankfully, she didn't notice, or at least she didn't show it.

She shrugged. "Before I came over. He said he really liked me and wanted to go out with me."

"Who is it?" He asked, hoping he sounded like he didn't care that much.

"Kouga."

The hanyou scoffed. "He's a player. He just wants to get in your pants."

His jealousy was churning in his stomach, she _knew _how much he hated wolf-shit, and he really didn't want Kagome to get hurt. Knowing him though, he'd find some way to fuck her and then leave her pregnant. He'd done it plenty of times before, who could say the bastard wouldn't do it again? He almost growled, but knew it would cause her to think he was jealous, not that he was of course…

She scowled at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well we'll just see about that now won't we?"

He scoffed, dying to change the subject. Anything besides the mangy wolf. "Congrats on Harvard again."

She beamed up at him, eyes twinkling. "Thanks so much! I can't believe it... I've always wanted it! And now...wow. I love it. Where are you applying?"

He shrugged. "Yale. Maryland. Duke. They've all three accepted me so now I just gotta choose. I'm leaning more towards Maryland though... a little more diverse."

"Hm. I think I would like to go to a diverse college, but Harvard... I mean, my dad… he wanted me to go there before he died. And... ever since then, it's been my goal. I mean, before that, I kinda wanted it and stuff, but now... it's like I really have a reason."

"I think your dad would be happier if you went to the college of your dreams, rather than trying to make him feel better by following his own."

She shrugged and smiled at him. "You know what? Maybe you're right. And that's a big maybe there with your limited brain capacity… but still, it's something I'm choosing to do. I couldn't live with myself if I went somewhere else. It was a big deal to my dad, like… really big. It was his dying wish..."

He smiled at her. "Wench. You wanna have dinner with us?"

She nodded and grinned. "I'd like that." She just hoped they'd have turkey again…

!!

"Sweetie?"

InuYasha turned towards his step-mother, who was sitting in the swing set in the front yard they had put in when InuYasha was a little boy. He sighed and sat down next to her, the swing creaking under his weight. "Yeah?"

"I like that girl. Don't take this the wrong way, but I think she's good for you…"

"Mom…"

She ran her fingers through her hair and bit her lip, interrupting him. "I'm serious Yash. It's been three years and I'm sick of all the girls you're inviting over for a quick bang. Can't you just open your eyes and see what's right there in front of you?"

He stood; the swing flying behind him. "A relationship with someone and a quick fuck to release stress are _completely _different things!"

She bit her lip harder, on the verge of drawing blood. "Hon… I know what this is about and…"

"Do you?!" He interrupted, snarling at her. "You don't know what the fuck it's like! You didn't go through what I did! You didn't see someone you fucking _love _get torn apart by a fucking wolf! And you didn't run away from it like I did! I ran away because I cared more about my own goddamn life! You don't know what that's fucking like." He turned and went in the house, slamming the door shut behind him so hard their house shook.

Norimi winced and sighed, being picked up by strong arms and a scent she knew so well. "Don't let him get to you."

Norimi snuggled into her husband's arms and a mischievous light hit her gaze. "I know. But you know what?" A smirk hit her lips and he looked down at her, almost afraid of what she would say.

"What?"

"He needs a sibling."

Ichiro almost dropped his wife. "You mean…"

She grinned. "There is a nice hotel not too far from here… we could always call him later…"

Ichiro laughed and turned to their Mercedes. "Alright… sounds good to me."

_**A/N**_

_**REEEEEEEVIEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW. **_

_**Haha. If you look at that in a certain way, it kinda looks like "Rev" like a car and "ew" ha**_

_**I have too much spare time on my hands.**_

_**EEEE I have a website now ;! I'm happy :D check it, it's my writingsss **__**www.rworks.**___

_**So. Go there. Please? It's as new as a baby! Aww.**_

_**J**_


	4. Never Too Late

Chapter 4: Never Too Late

**Chapter 4: Never Too Late**

**Never Too Late: Three Days Grace**

"Thanks for coming over. You didn't have to, you know that right?"

He turned towards the beautiful girl leaning against the windowsill, aqua eyes dull with… something. Was it sorrow? He offered a smile and walked over to her, leaning against the window as well. "I wanted too. Besides, my parents weren't home anyway."

She chuckled lightly. "What? Went to go have wild dirty sex in a hotel or something?"

He grinned. "Something like that. Can't get enough of each other I swear…"

She smiled, cutting him off. "Do you… do you wanna meet my mom?"

He gave her a crooked smile, loving the simple blush that filtered her cheeks. "Sure."

She giggled, taking his hand to lead him into her mother's quarters. "She's in here."

"So how come you don't seem to like talking about her?"

She sighed. "You'll find out when you meet her."

They walked into the dimly lit bedroom, and Kenichi's gaze fell on the woman on the bed, covered in a white sheet up to her chest. Soft brown hair that hit her chin, and dark brown eyes full of misery. He could tell that before everything had happened, she had probably been a real looker. She smiled wanly, and beckoned the two over.

"Hey mom…"

"Hello Kagome." She wheezed, and patted her chest roughly. "Who is he? A boyfriend, perhaps?" She choked out between her incessant wheezing.

Kagome blushed and dropped his hand immediately, shaking her head. "N-no, this is Yash- err, InuYasha, he's a friend. My boyfriend hasn't been able to come, he's been… uh, busy lately."

"Is Souta back as well? I want to speak to him, there are things that need to be said before… before everything."

Kagome gulped, a tear tracing its way down her cheek. "Y-yes mom." She stuttered out, blushing furiously and biting her lip to stop the tears. InuYasha rocked back on his heels, unsure of how to comfort Kagome without offending her mother, or just how to comfort her in general. He could smell death all over the woman, seeing it too, from her sorrowful eyes to her thin body frame, bones jutting out of her arms and shoulders, her collarbone nearly skinless.

"Have you received any news on Derrick?" InuYasha made a mental note to ask Kagome later who this 'Derrick' kid was.

Kagome shook her head, another tear falling from her turquoise eyes. "W-we haven't talked."

InuYasha took her hand and tugged slightly, asking with his eyes if she wanted to leave yet. She subtly nodded and walked over to her mother, kissing her forehead. "I'm leaving now mom. I love you."

The woman wrapped her frail arms around Kagome's body and squeezed. "I love you too, Kagome."

She closed the door behind her softly, and offered a small smile through her silent tears. "She's dying."

InuYasha nodded. Her knees buckled and she ran over to him, grasping onto his shirt as the tears fell. He hugged her back, awkwardly rubbing her back to make her feel better. Her cries abruptly stopped and she pulled back, her eyes red and puffy. A distorted grimace appeared on her face, and then he realized she was trying to smile. "Sorry about that… I got carried away. Do you, uh, wanna meet my brother and his girlfriend?"

He nodded, and let her lead him into the kitchen.

As soon as they walked in, his jaw nearly hit the ground. There was a girl who looked Kagome's age at the counter, soft brown hair flowing down her back. She turned and smiled; bright green eyes dazzling. Absolutely stunning, but she couldn't hold a candle to Kagome. Where Kagome was natural; this girl was loaded with mascara and eye shadow and lip gloss and blush and bronzer… the list went on. Not that it didn't look good of course; she just looked more like one of his weekly escapades. She sauntered over, hugging Kagome and winking at the hanyou.

"Hey Kags, who's your cute friend?"

Kagome snorted. "Who, the cat? I see no one cute in here Jen." InuYasha scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest at her blatant insult, though he didn't miss the slight wink she gave him.

Jennifer grinned, running her fingers up InuYasha's abdomen. He grinned down at her, wondering if Kagome would mind if he fucked her later on… "This flame. Who is he?"

"Oh him." Kagome muttered, an undertone of jealousy creeping in her voice. InuYasha pretended he didn't notice. "That's InuYasha."

Jennifer shook his hand, holding it for a few seconds too long. "I'm Jen…" She purred, subtly pushing out her ample cleavage. "Are you Japanese?"

He nodded and she grinned. "Hot… I love exotic boys. Say, I just might enroll in your school Kaggie! If all the boys look like this one… private school gets so _boring_ sometimes. All those goody-goody boys only care about their stupid Winnipeg tournaments and not about the women they parade on their arms. And I have been looking for a change lately…"

InuYasha didn't miss Kagome's slight wince, covered immediately with faux enthusiasm when Jennifer turned to her. "That… that would be great Jen… we'd even be in the same grade… and everything…"

Jennifer clapped her hands and bounced, InuYasha's eyes following her cleavage. "How wonderful! I think I might just transfer… see ya!" She winked at them both and sauntered out of the kitchen, hips swaying as she walked. InuYasha guessed that Jennifer was the real reason Kouga hadn't come over yet. Kouga was a player, and if he saw someone who just might be willing to give him some for no reason, Kagome would be out of the picture.

He shot a glance at her; she was biting her lip and staring at the ground. He grabbed her arm and tugged her in the living room, pulling her on the recliner with him. "Do you really think you're anything less than her?"

She shrugged, still gnawing on her bottom lip. "I dunno, I mean… _look _at her! She's gorgeous…"

InuYasha scoffed. "And you're damn beautiful so shut the fuck up about it. She's a whore, just like so many other girls that I've used for one night stands. You… you're not like that. You have standards, _morals_, and a whole life ahead of you. Do you really want to be like her?" He didn't like getting this mushy, but she was crying and he could always deny everything later.

She shook her head, releasing her lip from its chokehold. He grinned. "Good. If Kouga leaves you for _her_, I'll fuck him up. Besides, if he does, you'll know he only wanted to get in your pants and I win."

She smirked. "When was this a bet?"

"It is now. Oh yeah, I'm having a party this weekend, you should come, and bring wolf-shit with you. Don't worry; I'll make sure he doesn't even _look _at Jen."

Kagome chuckled, a mischievous glint hitting her eyes. "You're inviting Jen?"

He nodded. "She'll be around the whores. Easiest way to find 'em."

She rolled her eyes. "You are _such _a man whore."

He shrugged, arm loosening on her. "I have been for 3 years now."

"Since Kikyo?"

He nodded, arm slipping off her completely and down to rest at her hip. "Doesn't involve the closeness of a real relationship. I can't let myself get that far… not after what happened."

Kagome bit her lip, shifting in his lap slightly. "Don't you think she would want you to be happy?"

"I dunno. Maybe. But still, how can she forgive me when I haven't even forgiven myself? I just… I can't let myself fall for anyone right now."

She stood, walking over to the window and into the dusk. "I don't think you would hurt anyone else InuYasha."

A pang in his chest hit him and he winced. He grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair and stood, walking to the door. He didn't even bother to look at her as he stepped into the cool night air.

Arriving at a lonely house, he threw himself on his bed as soon as he got in his room. Somehow, someway, this Kagome girl was starting to get to him. A lot. It was driving him crazy. It had been so long ago… Kagome looked so much like Kikyo, when he first saw her he thought it was her. She was already flipping him upside down to the insecure boy he was once, from this party animal who was trying to forget the life he once had.

And she wasn't afraid of him. She wasn't disgusted, or appalled, because he was a hanyou. Perhaps he just loved Kikyo so much because she was _there_? Because she was the first one who loved him? He shook his head, refusing to think it. He did love Kikyo, always had, right? He scowled.

"Wow… these women are beautiful Yash! I didn't know you could pull something quite like this off!"

InuYasha grinned at his best friend, Miroku, who was lounging at the counter sipping a martini. InuYasha grabbed a beer and chugged it within seconds, thankful that hanyou and youkai had a very high tolerance of alcohol. He turned back towards the door, looking for a certain girl… The door slammed open and a group of jocks stormed in, cocking their heads like they were having a head spaz and immediately being surrounded by whores.

Expected. He scowled, glancing at the clock on the kitchen wall. She was late. A good thirty minutes late. He finally saw her petite form enter. Alone. She looked around, caught sight of him, and smiled. He almost fainted. Instead, he grinned and beckoned her over.

"Hey Yash."

"Oi wench, where's wolf-shit?"

She blushed and played with the dark strands falling over her shoulders. "He had something he needed to take care of… he'll be here later."

Miroku cut in then, grabbing her hand and kissing it lightly, bowing low and smirking. "Hello beautiful, bear my children?"

She blushed at the gorgeous man holding her hand, violet eyes full of lecherous charm. "Your kids? No way! I don't even know you, pervert!"

He shrugged, lightly shrugging his black hair out of his face. "You don't know what you're missing out on…"

InuYasha shoved his friend and growled. "Get the fuck off letch! Kagome, this pervert is Miroku."

Kagome scowled at him. "Pleased to meet you." She muttered sarcastically, still unable to believe he had just asked her to do _the deed_.

He grinned. "Charmed."

"Oh, and Miroku, _**she's taken so fuck off**_." InuYasha snarled, fangs bared.

Miroku's shoulders drooped and he sighed. "Some men get all the luck, who's the guy?"

"That would be me." A voice drawled from behind Kagome, a well-muscled arm coming to rest around her slender waist.

InuYasha and Miroku both glared at the black haired god holding Kagome possessively

.

"Kouga." Miroku growled out, and Kouga smirked.

"What's with the hostility? I was invited after all. Kagome, let's go get some punch." Without waiting for an answer, she was dragged off into the arms of her boyfriend.

"I hate that wolf." InuYasha muttered, glaring after the couple.

Miroku chuckled and took another swig of his beer. "Me too. He probably only wants her for sex. She is outstandingly stunning… tell me Yash, where'd you meet a broad like that?"

InuYasha shrugged. "School."

A grin stretched over Miroku's face and he draped an arm over InuYasha's shoulder. "You wanna bone her as bad as I do?"

InuYasha laughed. "Hell yes. C'mon let's go fuck some whores!"

They high-fived before disappearing into the crowd to go find some girls.

"Hey Emma!" He said, walking over to one of the girls and putting an arm around her tiny shoulder. The girl blushed and stuffed her piece of chocolate in her mouth, chewing it quickly before smiling up at him.

"Hey Yash!" She exclaimed, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek. "You want sex? Is that why you came over here... no good looking dames around here?"

He laughed. Emma was so innocent looking, but she was easy with one hell of a dirty mouth. He nodded, lifting her up so her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist for balance.

"Now? Not in front of everyone I'm not that kinky!"

He laughed and shook his head. "No I'm bringing you upstairs."

She nodded and started to kiss his jaw, moving down his neck and to his collarbone. He had to stop walking a few times to stop himself from fucking her at that very second, positioning her in front of his painfully noticeable erection as he walked upstairs. Tonight would be one hell of a night...

_**Review. Anyway, you been to my site yet? If not… GO.**_

_**www.rworks.**__** go go go! **_


	5. Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too

Chapter 5: Wow I Can Get Sexual Too

**Chapter 5: Wow I Can Get Sexual Too**

**Wow I Can Get Sexual Too: Say Anything**

_**IMPORTANT! READ! **_**Bettychan was so nice to inform me that I made a little mistake, I uploaded the wrong first and second chapter! There are two versions of this story I made, one's IY the other's an original work I guess when I was editing I forgot a few things. I made the changes, Kagome's hair is BLACK and there is no Belle! and reposted the chapters. So sorry! It won't happen again, promise! **

"Kouga, c'mon, can't we go do something else? We've been sitting at this table for almost the whole party." Kagome muttered, hand fighting to hold her head up in boredom. She _wanted _to dance, but Kouga didn't want her too… didn't want the guys "hitting on her", as he had said.

He grinned at her, sharp fangs flashing. "Exactly. We can be together without having to worry about any guys wanting to fuck you, and I don't have to worry about drowning in mutt face's stench. When we're this close, I mainly smell _you_."

Kagome scowled. "Hm. Well, I'm ready to go since we're not gonna do anything; let me just go find InuYasha, who is _not _a mutt-face by the way, and I'll be right back. Wait here!"

The look in her eyes was the only thing keeping him rooted to her seat, he wasn't in the mood to be confronted by an angry miko tonight…

Kagome found Miroku, talking to a slender dark-haired beauty with soft brown eyes. His hand groped her ass and she smacked him, arms crossed.

"Miroku! Keep your hands to yourself pervert!"

He grinned, despite the red handprint on his cheek. "Ah, but my lovely Sango, the pain is worth the reward."

She blushed and was about to say something when Kagome tapped Miroku's shoulder. "Miroku? Do you know where InuYasha is?"

He cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "Oh yeah, he went upstairs with a… friend… a little bit ago."

Not catching his implications, she smiled and nodded. "Thanks, you're the best!" She ran upstairs, not seeing Sango's slack jawed expression. She frowned when she reached the top of the stairs, not knowing which room was what. Deciding on the first, she tried her luck and opened it, her cheeks exploding in color when she saw what was behind Door #1.

InuYasha jumped off of Emma as soon as the door opened, leaving her covered but himself wide open. Kagome's eyes widened and her cheeks reddened, she turned abruptly, talking with her back turned to him. "I-I just wanted to l-let you know I was… leaving… goodbye!" Before he could speak she was gone, sprinting down the stairs and out the door without even grabbing her boyfriend.

InuYasha turned towards Emma, dropping his hand that had originally reached out towards Kagome. He didn't want her gone, and was wishing he had been hanging out with her so she wouldn't have left. He wondered if it was wolf-shit's idea… Probably.

"Who was she? She didn't seem to be one of your whores, way too innocent."

He scoffed. "She is. She's a… friend."

"You know she looked a lot like Kikyo right?"

He scowled, pulling on his jeans as he spoke. "Yeah, how could I fucking not know?"

"Yash…"

"Whatever, I'm goin' downstairs. This party's over."

Emma sighed and threw on her dress, following him out of the dimly lit room.

Kagome was nearly home when she heard footsteps behind her. She tested the air, noting it was not anyone she knew. Speeding up, she bit her lip, regretting not working on her barriers. She had only produced one once, and that had been when she was in serious danger. She hoped she could produce one now if she needed to.

She shook the thoughts out of her head, perhaps this person wasn't dangerous at all, maybe they just happened to be going the same place she was going at the same time, and wanted to speed up when she did? Biting her lip so hard she nearly drew blood, she figured her optimism was probably pointless. Someone was coming after her, she was sure of it.

Breaking into a run, she wondered if InuYasha would realize she wasn't there and Kouga still was and come save her. The thought of Kouga saving her didn't cross her mind even for a second. Her shoes clacked against the asphalt, and she noticed the person behind her had sped up too, gaining speed quickly. Youkai? She crossed the thought from her mind immediately, there was no way. If so, they would have caught up already, and the aura didn't feel demonic…

She took a glance behind her, and her heart stopped in her chest. He was right there… literally directly behind her. She gulped and he grabbed her arm, red eyes narrowing. Long, wavy black hair, he smirked. Now that he was so close, she could sense the evil rolling off of him in waves. She noticed he didn't have a specific aura, she couldn't tell if he was human, hanyou, or youkai.

"W-who are you?"

"They call me Naraku." His voice sent shivers down her spine, his hands were ice cold, and she noticed how human he looked, save the red eyes of course. She tried to hide her fear, but it was futile.

"I can smell you, you're scared. Why are you scared of me?"

"Maybe because you're following me!" His arm repelled off of her and he clutched it, hissing in pain.

"You bitch! You purified me! That's it, I'm through being nice!" He lurched at her and she screamed, ducking down low and expecting to get slammed into. It never came, and she cracked an eye open, just as he got slammed into the wall. InuYasha stood there, fangs bared with a wolf-demon arriving a few seconds after him.

"Kagome! My love, are you okay?" He grasped her hands and pulled her up, wrapping his arm around her.

"Err, yeah I'm fine…" She muttered, eyes resting on InuYasha, who was screaming at Naraku who had just flown off into the sky.

"Son of a bitch! He fucking disappeared again!" He turned towards Kagome and sighed. "You alright, wench?"

Kagome nodded, biting her lip. "Alright mutt face you saved the day now get out of here and leave me to my woman!"

Before he could retort, Kagome shoved Kouga off of her with a scowl, a pink glow flaring up around her. "I am _not _your woman! Just because I agreed to go out with you does not mean you own me!"

InuYasha chuckled dryly at Kouga's expression. "Bout time she told you your place, ya mangy wolf!"

Kouga scowled, taking Kagome by the hand and dragging her off. "C'mon Kagome, let's go."

She nodded, feeling bad about yelling at him. She didn't mean to yell, but it just… slipped? Fingers wrapping around his hand, they made their way back to her house. He dropped her off, still scowling and turned to leave. "Kouga?"

"What?" He muttered, turning back towards her.

She blushed, rocking back on her heels slightly. "I'm sorry about yelling earlier, I didn't mean too…"

He grinned, running back up to her and taking her petite hands in his large ones. "No worries Kagome! You're still so amazing…"

She blushed and took her hands back, wondering why she just didn't feel _right _with Kouga. Sure, she had given him a chance, but there was something about him…

"Can… can we talk?"

"Sure, shoot!"

"Err…" She had never broken up with someone before, maybe that was just due to her lack of boyfriends. Sure, she had been asked out plenty of times, she just never _wanted _to date any of the boys. Maybe she had just agreed to Kouga because of his incessant pleading…

"I've been thinking…"

"Yes?"

"Maybe we should… just be friends? I mean, I like you as a friend and all, but…"

"You like dog-face more than me? Huh? Is that it?" The cerulean of his eyes darkened and he growled low, the tips of his fangs peeking over his lower lip. A wholly menacing look, she bit her lip and fiddled with the hem of her shirt so she didn't have to see it.

"No! I just… don't feel the same way about you as you do about me. I'm really sorry…"

He scoffed and walked off, his black ponytail swinging behind him. "You'll take that back one day, Kagome."

_**A/N**_

_**Wow. This is really short. I promise to make the next one extra long! Well I'll try anyway ; I'm still sorry… I feel like I've failed as a writer because I caused confusion and uploaded the wrong thing. If you haven't read the beginning author's note, do so! But like I said, those two chapters have been reposted and hopefully everything's cleared up. I owe you BIG TIME, bettychan! **_


	6. Becoming The Bull

Chapter 6: Becoming The Bull

**Chapter 6: Becoming The Bull**

**Becoming The Bull: Atreyu**

"I. Want. Her. Back." Kouga gritted out through clenched teeth, hands in fists at his sides. His two minions, Ginta and Hakkaku, stood trembling in fear before their alpha.

"W-well, what do you suppose we do?" Ginta asked, with the ever loyal Hakkaku by his side.

Kouga threw his hands in the air in abject frustration. The one girl he had ever really wanted, Kagome, didn't want him. What the hell was _wrong _with her? He had girls literally climbing up his sides just to get a taste of his wolf-like charm, and the one girl who was different from all the rest, didn't want him! Why not? He was charming, sexy, and definitely knew how to work his God-given tools. Kagome was so sweet, pure, and innocent, with just a hint of fire. The perfect mate!

"I don't know! Figure something out! I **will **get my woman back, no matter what the cost!"

Hakkaku scratched the back of his head warily, trying to keep his body from convulsing. "B-but what about InuYasha? It looks like he wants her too..."

"Dog-shit? You're worried about _dog-shit_? She doesn't want that asshole; she's way too good for him! I mean, have you seen his _face_?"

Both of his companions sighed at their alpha's obvious _dense_-ity. Kouga had already left back to his place, where the rest of the pack was residing. Ginta turned to Hakkaku and sighed.

"She doesn't want him."

"Nope."

"We can't make her want him."

"Nope. But we can try?"

Ginta nodded, eyes wide in fear of what the alpha would do to them if they didn't make Kagome alpha bitch. "Yeah... poor Kagome."

Hakkaku agreed, and both boys turned to head to Kagome's, plotting and planning the whole way.

"So the mangy wolf ain't at school today? Bout fucking time he realized he was stupid."

Kagome scowled, turning towards the hanyou. "InuYasha..." She warned, followed by his terse growl. She chuckled inwardly, knowing he would never let his "weaker" emotions show, possible fear being one of them.

"You still dating that asshole?"

Kagome sighed and shook her head, absently twirling her pencil on the desk. "No. I broke up with him; he's too... too clingy I guess. And he just, wasn't my type. I know it's silly, but I still have that whole fairy-tale love in my head, where if it doesn't _feel _right, it's not right."

InuYasha frowned; he had known all along Kouga wasn't right for her. It didn't help that he was a _wolf_. Turning away from her and meeting the teacher's glare, he laid his head down on the desk to sleep.

Mrs. Gregory scowled at the sleeping hanyou. Always, ever since he had first been in her class, he would sleep. How he managed to keep good grades, she had no idea; maybe it was due to Kagome? Kagome excelled in her class, and seemed to have high marks in her others as well. Kagome also seemed like a good role model, but she still didn't like the girl. Maybe because of all the attention she got from her male classmates, what was this girl like _outside _of school?

Scolding herself for making judgments on a person she didn't even know personally, she sighed and grabbed her book from the cluttered desk, opening up to her marked page to begin teaching. She noticed Kagome immediately started taking notes, not even bothering to wake the boy next to her. She smiled to herself; she had given up on that a week ago, after he had caused an outburst in class due to her waking him up.

The sound of slaps against the asphalt was all she heard. The cool morning air blew lightly in her face and she sucked it in sharply, her arms pumping beside her. This was her life, what she did every morning. Once around the shrine, down the steps, down and back along the block, up the steps, once more around the shrine. It totaled about three miles. She took one last look behind her to make sure no one was following and did a mental check of the air, no auras surrounding her that she wasn't familiar with.

She pulled herself to a stop when one aura hit the air, a powerful one she had grown accustomed to. "Hey, InuYasha! What are you doing here?"

"Keh. Just comin' through. Gotta fuckin check on you every two seconds so you don't fuckin die."

She smiled to herself, a twinkle in her eye that hadn't been there a few seconds ago. So he cared, huh? Nice to hear. She started jogging again, knowing he could keep up with a brisk walk. Sure enough, there he was along beside her. "What are ya doin anyway?"

"Jogging. Morning routine."

"You're human. Shouldn't you be _sleeping_ instead of wasting your life jogging?"

She grinned, picking up her pace enough to push him into a steady jog. "This coming from the track star." She muttered sarcastically, knowing full well he could hear her clearly.

He scoffed, having nothing to say to that. He too, increased his speed, trying to instigate her into a race he knew he would win. He was a hanyou after all, and she was just a pathetic human. But she didn't speed up. A knowing smile was on her face and she slowed herself down to a peaceful jog, aggravating the under-worked hanyou. He slowed down to a walk beside her.

"Don't wanna race? Know you'll _lose_?"

She chuckled, breaking into a full on sprint before he could say another word. He laughed openly, running at a human's pace, maybe a little faster, to catch up to the enigma of a girl.

He waited until she was about to enter the house before grabbing her around her waist and tackling her. She landed on top of him during the slight brawl following, the two teens laughing as InuYasha tickled Kagome until she was turning bright red. She collapsed on his chest and he felt his cheeks redden, the monster in his pants coming to life.

…

Kagome felt something hard against her stomach, and fleetingly wondered if it was InuYasha's keys or something. The pressure increased and her eyes widened as she took in their position, quickly rolling off of him and glancing quickly to see if her hypothesis was correct. It was. He didn't seem to notice it; he just stood there staring at her. She blushed and looked down, away from the striking gold of his eyes.

"Kagome."

"W-what?" She gnawed on her lower lip, her blush increasing. There was no response, and when she looked back up, he was gone. She crinkled her brows and turned to walk inside, one foot in the door before she was grabbed around the waist and landed in the shrine tree, Goshibinku, with a hanyou's arm wrapped around her hips.

"InuYasha! What'd you grab me for? Put me down!" He growled low in his throat, his eyes changing from red to gold. His claws lengthened against her hips and she whimpered, his eyes turning to her and immediately going back to the original gold. The claws were gone, and he looked worried.

"Did I hurt you?"

She glanced down at the slight blood points she could see on the outside of the shirt and shook her head. "I'm fine. But why am I-"

"Shut up! We're not alone." Another growl followed that statement and his ears were fully erect, his eyes transfixed on her bedroom window. Kagome followed his gaze, gasping at the shadow she saw. No one should be in her room… and it was too oddly shaped to be her mother, too large to be her brother. She gulped, clinging to InuYasha's shirt. He turned towards her, his eyes slightly softer. "I promise nothing bad will happen to you. I'll protect you."

"InuYasha…" Another growl, louder this time, and a head popped out from her bedroom, eyes wide in fright. He jumped out the window and ran, quickly followed by another. Kagome held InuYasha back, recognizing the two as Ginta and Hakkaku. Once he was sure they were completely gone, he threw Kagome on his back and lunged towards the window. She shrieked slightly at the adrenaline that coursed through her, stopping abruptly once they landed on the soft carpet in her room.

InuYasha sniffed the air, a low growl building up again. She cast wary eyes toward him, noting that nothing appeared stolen. Within seconds he was in front of her closet, opening the doors and inhaling. She walked behind him, peeking over his shoulder to see if anything was missing. Her mouth curled into a frown and he turned towards her.

"Well?"

"Nothing's missing. At least, not that I know of. Why would they be in here anyway?"

Stalking over to her bed, InuYasha sat down with a heavy sigh, wondering the same thing. "Keh. Fuck if I know. Probably something to do with wolf-shit."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, sitting down beside him and unknowingly resting against his shoulder. "Why? I broke up with him and unless he was planning some sort of sick revenge-"

She turned towards InuYasha, who was staring at her ceiling like he hadn't even been listening. "InuYasha! Were you even listening to a thing I said?"

Ignoring her completely, he stood, walking to her door in a trance. "InuYasha! What is your problem?"

As he was reaching for the ceiling, she finally saw what he was looking for, a red light flashing on her ceiling. Grabbing it and smashing it, he was at her window in a second scanning the area. "That fucking bastard, next time I see him I'm gonna own his fucking ass!"

"Kagome, is everything alright in-- oh my kami who is that?!"

Kagome turned towards her mother, smiling sheepishly when she noticed how loud InuYasha had been yelling curse words. "Momma, that's InuYasha. He's a classmate, I was out running this morning, and he came by to see me."

Her mother smiled knowingly, walking towards InuYasha and catching one of his doggy-ears. His eyes widened and he made a sound akin to a yelp, glaring at Kagome's mother. "Oi! What are ya doin?"

"They're so adorable! So tell me, InuYasha, what are you doing in my daughter's room screaming out the window and waking up the house?"

His cheeks took on a ruddy hue and his brain scrambled to find some excuse. Thankfully, Kagome interrupted, standing in front of the flustered hanyou. "It's okay, mom. He just needed to vent."

"Ah. Well, Kagome you need to shower, InuYasha how bout you come downstairs and I'll make breakfast?"

Sensing it was a rhetorical question, Kagome pushed InuYasha out of her room, warning him with her eyes to follow and behave. A tiny growl and a nod, he followed after Ms. Higurashi.

…

"So, InuYasha, want to tell me the real reason you were over here this morning? I'm not an idiot, Kagome inherited her powers of perception from me," Ms. Higurashi smiled warmly and sat down across from the hanyou, a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Uh…I think she should decide whether or not to tell you..."

"Are you and my daughter… _involved_?"

Face looking like he just was pelted with tomatoes, he coughed loudly and cleared his throat. "Keh, no, no way! Nothing like that!"

A small grin from Kagome's mother, she absently played with the tablecloth as she looked into InuYasha's eyes. "Is Kagome that revolting?"

"Wha…?" He was trapped. If he said yes, Kagome's mother would hate him forever, and if he said no, Kagome's mother would probably think there was something going on. He needed a way out of this…

Kami, he was lucky. Kagome came bounding down the stairs with her towel around her head and a robe on. When she leaned over to grab a piece of toast, he noticed there was nothing underneath that robe… he cursed his dirty mind and excused himself to go to the bathroom to go take care of some _things_.

Once he was gone, Kagome's mother turned towards her daughter with a slight smile. Sensing severe humiliation, Kagome stood, muttering something about getting ready for school, and ran upstairs to her room. So far, this day was turning out pretty interesting…

"So, Kagome, I heard you broke up with Kouga!"

"Yeah… why? He's so gorgeous!"

"Mr. Bone-able!"

The three girls surrounding Kagome burst into laughter, and it was all Kagome could do to keep from sighing. Back in middle school, these girls had been her best friends, but ever since high school, she had matured in some areas, where they had not. Boys, shopping, and hair were the main points of those areas.

"Aw come on Kagome, you're so quiet today!" The one named Eri said. Kagome sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Sorry, I'm just kinda tired. It's been a long day." She cautiously avoided the Kouga subject, hoping they would give up and find something better to talk about. Or just keep their heads turned and not see the gorgeous hanyou walking towards them.

"Oi, Kagome! What the fuck's takin so long?"

There was no noise behind Kagome. She froze. Obviously, they had noticed. Eri tapped her shoulder and whispered; a futile effort since InuYasha could still hear them "Is this why you dumped Kouga? He's gorgeous… talk about needing a prescription from the doctor! 'Arousal-reducer' medicine!"

Kagome held back a laugh and looked over at InuYasha's grinning face. He walked over and wrapped his arm around Kagome's shoulders, winking at the three girls. "Hey. Ya'll up for a fuck?"

Kagome punched his stomach and the three girl's mouths dropped open in shock. InuYasha wheezed and stood up straight again, having bent when Kagome hit him. It actually kinda hurt… "Aw c'mon Kagome, I could do a five-some if you're jealous."

"Jealous? You know, you can have your way with these girls, I don't care! I'll see you later, maybe." She smacked him and scowled, hoisting her bag higher over her shoulder and walking off.

"What's her problem?" He asked, rubbing his red cheek.

"Post-break-up. Either that or PMS."

"Ah… about that fuck…."

"You had sex with my friends?!" Kagome screamed, hand inching dangerously close to the lamp on her bedside table.

He grimaced, ears flattening at her loud tone of voice. "Don't need to yell! Damn, wench you-"

"**Wench**! I am not a **wench**!" With an expert's aim, the lamp hit InuYasha square in the head, knocking him back on the bed. "My name is Kagome! Ka-Go-Me! Want me to spell it for you; will that get it through that thick skull of yours? K-A-G-O-M-E! Kagome! And I have every right to yell, those were my close friends and now all they're gonna talk about is how fantastic you are and-"

"You think I'd be fantastic?" He smirked, golden eyes glinting. She flushed, her anger evaporating slowly.

"Well you seem pretty satisfied." She muttered angrily, hands folded over her chest. She couldn't believe it… those girls, _virgins_! She was beyond pissed off, and she could feel a heat surrounding her as her aura rose. Throwing a glare at InuYasha, she walked out of her room, slamming it shut behind her. A few seconds later she walked back in, still glaring, and poked InuYasha in the chest, _hard_.

"No! This is my room! You go!"

He grinned, a stupid thing to do on his part since her aura was flaring and sparking around her, white in heat and vibrant. "What if I don't wanna leave?"

"_**Get out**__._" Her voice was dangerously calm, and her finger was pointing straight out the window. Her blue eyes were narrowed and her teeth were slightly bared, he thought she resembled a bitch after giving birth, warding off male dogs who wanted anything to do with her puppies. He raised his hands in mock surrender and laughed.

"What are ya gonna do if I don't?"

The aura around the miko extended, engulfing the entire room and sending fire-like heat over his body, electric shocks rendering him unconscious.

Dark brown eyes surveyed the blurry landscape, his nose felt stuffy and he felt _weak_. Almost like he did when he was on his human night- he sat up straight and glared at the miko sitting at her desk reading a book.

"Finally awake?"

"What the fuck? You purified me bitch! What are ya gonna do if someone comes around here and wants to kill ya? Who's gonna protect you? I sure as hell won't!"

He left, slamming the door behind him. It took a few minutes for his words to sink in, and when they did they hit her like a sack of bricks. They were so strong, tears welled in her eyes and it took all she could to keep them from falling. _He had taken back his promise to protect her_. She lost it, holding her head in her hands and letting the tears fall.

Her shoulders shook and her tears stained her homework, but she didn't care right now. Somehow, she knew, she knew that taking back that promise was the worst thing InuYasha could ever do to her…

_**A/N**_

_**Ay babay! **_

_**First off, I want to thank the people that reviewed, I love you! Bahaha thanks. I was going to make this one longer, but I figured this would be a good place to end it, and I had writer's block and didn't want to wait another week before posting this. So, here ya go :**_

_**Review, tell me what you think, please? Por favor? Onegai? BAHAHA I said please in three different languages! **_

_**Tink**_

_**rworks. **__**ß**__** GO here**_


	7. Ride For You

Chapter 7: No One Cares

**Chapter 7: Ride For You**

**Ride For You: Danity Kane**

Tossing and turning in her bed, she casually wondered if she would get any sleep. Her bed seemed harder than normal and the room seemed more eerie. Maybe it was the lack of comfort she had now? A certain sense of reliability that had been there that she hadn't noticed until it was torn away from her. He had taken back his promise to protect her, something people just _don't_ do lightly.

At first, after the hour or two of crying, she had fleetingly hoped he didn't mean what he said and he would realize it and come running back to her. It didn't happen, and she had given up hope. She had had every right to be mad; he had screwed the kidneys out of her friends, and then bragged about it to her face later. To think he was banging her _virgin _friends like there was no tomorrow and expecting her to be okay with it… sure he could be stupid, but really to be that _dense_?

A small aura flared around her and she sighed, trying to get a grip on her temper. She was getting mad again, even though he too had the right to be mad at her. She had purified him after all, but it's not like she _really _meant too… Kaede was going to kill her.

"Yes child, ye shouldn't have lost your temper. InuYasha can be stupid sometimes, but as a miko ye must learn to control emotions. Yes, it is a hard task, but ye will do it so much it will come naturally. Now, it seems as if it's time for practice, child?"

Kagome let out an exasperated sigh and stood, following the elderly miko out of the room. Another few weeks of miko training… as if the constant meditation wasn't enough!

Frustrated and exhausted, Kagome walked back to the shrine. A relatively long walk, this was a time when she wished InuYasha wasn't mad at her so she could call him and he could drop her off. Well, it might work. Fishing her cell phone out of her jacket pocket, she scrolled through the contacts until she found the one she was looking for.

'_Doggy-boy. 555-6966' _The phone rang thrice before a groggy voice picked up, and a terse growl was heard. Obviously he had caller ID.

"What the hell do ya want?"

Blushing and a slight stutter, she didn't see, hear, or feel the aura of 'nothing' coming up behind her. "I-I was wondering… if maybe you could… take me home?" She uttered the last few words meekly, twiddling her fingers together. Before he could answer a strong arm grabbed her wrist and spun her around. She screamed, eyes flying open to meet menacing red ones.

"Hello Kagome." He drawled, his hand traveling down her spine. Too terrified to call forth her miko powers, she just hoped InuYasha could hear what was going on through the phone and come save—

He wouldn't. He had taken back his promise to protect her, right? So he had no reason to come. She fell weak in Naraku's arms, and he smiled a dark smile at the beauty in his arms, disappearing immediately.

The hanyou zoomed through the streets as quick as he possibly could, probably fast enough to beat his half-brother Sesshoumaru, a full demon. He caught her scent, dropping to his knees when he saw her cellphone lying open on the ground.

"Fuck!" He sniffed the air, noting the abrupt stop of her scent a few feet away. He screamed a string of obscenities, racing to a mansion he rarely set foot in.

Arriving at the white palace of a house, he saw a little girl sitting outside with a toad-thing, playing a game of tag. The toad ran up to him, his big bug eyes narrowing at the hanyou.

"What business do you have with Lord Sesshoumaru, _hanyou_?"

He kicked the toad and murmured hello to the little girl, walking in the house with a scowl. "Sesshoumaru! Get your lazy ass down here!"

His half-brother was there in half a second, eyes narrowed and his face expressionless. "What is it you want, little brother?"

"I… I need your help."

The full demon's eyes widened slightly before his face set back into its perpetual expressionless form. "You think I would help you, ignorant half breed?"

"Shut the fuck up Sesshoumaru, Kagome's missing. That fuck Naraku took her."

"Naraku." He growled out, eyes flashing red for a fraction of a second. InuYasha knew that was the only way to bring him along, Sesshoumaru was just itching for a way to kill the half-demon with eyes of red and a sea of black, wavy hair.

"We leave immediately. Jaken!" The toad ran into the hallway they were standing in, bowing low before his master.

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"Watch Rin. The half breed and I are leaving."

"W-what?!" He sputtered out, eyes growing even larger than normal. "The half breed! Why?"

"Shut up, Jaken. Do as I say."

The toad didn't get a chance to answer, InuYasha and Sesshoumaru had already taken off.

"So, beautiful, it looks like you've lost all your will to fight me. You won't even try and show me those sexy miko powers of yours. Looks like your hanyou isn't coming… why would he? You betrayed him, Kagome. You nasty whore, all he wanted to do was protect you and you made it so he couldn't. Why would he want to now? Why don't you _pay him back_?"

A crystalline tear dropped from her eye, her face expressionless. He was right, he was so right… A foolish thing to do on her side had purified him. She shouldn't have done it, she hadn't thought it would be such a big deal…

She always had been the type who got upset when people were angry with her, and she remembered the joy swelling inside her when he had promised to protect her. Another tear. Naraku smirked, his mouth cocking to the side and his red eyes glinting in his own pride. She knew what he was thinking, and she couldn't help but think the same thing.

He had won.

Drawing a sharp nail across her cheek, she felt the warm blood trickle slowly down her face. His other hand was ripping her shirt into pieces, opening one gaping hole in the middle. He grabbed a screw, ripping jagged openings. She couldn't see what he was doing, but it felt like he was writing a note on her stomach. It _hurt_. It _hurt _so bad, she wanted to scream and kick and purify his innards, but she was too weak and too untrained. The pain of it was blinding her and clouding her vision, her mind was going black at the edges, and she found herself at the void of unconsciousness.

She took it with open arms, just before she saw him fiddle with his zipper. She knew she was going to get raped, and she knew she might as well be dead in the process. With a soft smile, she fell into blackness.

Finally catching onto the scent of Kagome around the eastern part of the state, InuYasha and Sesshoumaru raced through the streets at the same speed, InuYasha being driven by one thing- the need to _protect_. To protect the one thing that was giving him even the faintest glimmer of hope since Kikyo, a slight chance at a real friendship again.

Naraku appeared in front of them, holding Kagome in his arms. She was limp and looked dull, lifeless. His heart stopped in his throat at the faint beat of her heartbeat, and the occasional blink of an eye. The animated girl he had come to know was now a hollow shell, and he wondered what the bastard had done to her in the short time he had her.

Naraku smiled darkly, flying above and dropping Kagome into InuYasha's arms. "She is yours."

Sesshoumaru darted towards the sky, trying to catch the hanyou who had suddenly disappeared. He landed with a growl, his eyes glowed a bright red.

InuYasha stared at the girl in his arms, who was looking up at him blankly. The radiance he had grown used to was gone, her bright smile she showed his under-pleased eyes had faded, and the brightness in her eyes was replaced with the memories of something so bleak and dark it seemed unspeakable. His hands ran through her hair in soft strokes, each finger touching over rips and dried blood. He fought from cringing, and his eyes filled with tears he hadn't allowed himself to shed in three years.

Her hand touched his arm, pale and thin fingers lightly skimming over the soft flesh. "You came."

Her voice was hoarse and cracked, and when she opened her mouth he could see the blood and vomit she was fighting back. His eyes finally focused on _her _and he saw it all. He saw the cuts across her face, open and bleeding in jagged streaks. One was hastily tied together with poor stitches, a means of torture. Ghastly red marks traversed her neck and collarbone and under her ripped shirt. He could see through one of the holes in the shirt, words written in blood across her skin.

'_Protect.' _

At the word, InuYasha sank to his knees with Kagome in his arms, burying his face in her collarbone, his hot tears warming her veins. That was it… he had failed to protect her. He had taken back the promise, and somehow she had known those implications. She hadn't thought he was coming, and she had given up completely, letting Naraku have his ways with her. A slight sniff of her proved his hypothesis. The scent of purity surrounding her was gone, replaced with another scent.

Kagome was no longer a virgin.

He cradled her in his arms, this girl he had known for only a short time and had grown so attached to. A glance up, he realized his half-brother was long-gone. Thankful Sesshoumaru hadn't seen the bittersweet reunion; he looked down at the woman in his arms. He brushed her hair off her face, revealing her vacant blue eyes that were starting to spark with a vague hint of hope.

"Keh. I told you I would protect you."

Her eyes moistened with unshed tears and she smiled wanly. "You took it back."

He sighed, dropping his head back into her sliced collarbone. "Kagome…what the hell did he do to you? I was… scared. I _am _scared. I didn't mean to take the promise back. It just… came out."

Her weakened arms wrapped around his body with newly restored vigor, a soft squeeze warming his body. He was showing his softer side, a side of him she had never gotten a real glimpse of. Naraku had thought he would take away her innocence, her love, her happiness, and replace it all with a dark, haunted soul. In a way, he had succeeded. Though her soul still remained alive and loving, it was battered and bruised, a new depth in the realm of darkness that hadn't been there before.

"Don't worry about it, InuYasha. Can you just take me home now? My mom's probably worried."

He nodded, lifting her in his arms and taking to the sky. Kagome was safe. Bruised, slashed, and mentally and physically scarred, she was safe and cared about other people more than herself. His heart warmed and he lifted his face to the heavens, eyes narrowing intently.

'_Would you curse me to love again?' _

_**A/N**_

_**I'm not saying this to complain, but I work pretty hard on getting these chapters out as soon as I can, and I use up a lot of time I could be using to be doing something else. If that made sense **_

_**So, seriously, could you guys review and tell me what you think? It doesn't take a lot of time, and the reviews make me happy.**_

_**To those who have reviewed, much love ;**_

_**Tink**_

_**3**_


	8. Exile

Chapter 9:Exile

**Chapter 8: Exile**

**Exile by Soilwork**

He smelled fresh applesauce as soon as he hit the shrine steps, noting that it smelled slightly… burnt? His grip tightened on Kagome when he saw a figure running towards them, further examination showing it to be Kagome's mother. He was by her side in seconds, her eyes wide in shock as she stroked her daughter's raven hair.

"Ms. Higurashi…"

She fell to her knees, salt tears running down her cheeks. InuYasha knelt down beside her, never loosening his grip on Kagome, who lay unconscious in his arms. He could only imagine how she must feel, her daughter not coming home, and then when she does she's unconscious and sliced to pieces. Her hand grasped InuYasha's arm, and her tear filled eyes met his own.

"What happened to my daughter?"

He hung his head, fingers running through Kagome's hair. He was so lucky that she was alive… to think that something could have happened to her and he wouldn't have been there to save her, all because he got pissed off over nothing. He scoffed in his mind. Typical.

"Naraku; I was pissed off at her and she was walking home alone…"

Kagome's mother's mouth dropped and her soft brown eyes widened in fear. He was half-expecting her to smack him for leaving her daughter un-protected like that, but it never came. Instead she wrapped her arms around him and smiled slightly, one hand coming down to rest on the top of Kagome's head.

"Thank kami you were there to protect her in the end. Don't worry about anything else, just so long as she's safe. Now come inside with me and we'll get her cleaned up. What all did he do to her?"

InuYasha shook his head, laying Kagome down on the worn in couch her mother had pointed out to him. "She didn't say, all I know is he fucked her up pretty bad… and she's not… she's not a virgin no more."

Ms. Higurashi's face remained calm, expressionless; for a fleeting moment she reminded him of Sesshoumaru. "Fetch me a damp washcloth from the bathroom, and there's a first aid kit in the hall closet."

He did as he was told, Ms. Higurashi placing the washcloth on Kagome's forehead and opening the small kit. "Hold her hand, will you? I think she'd like to wake up in comfort, and it takes two hands for me to do this." She then proceeded to dress Kagome's wounds, her fingers only hesitating at the word scratched into her stomach.

InuYasha held Kagome's frail hand in his own, in awe at the miniscule size of it. It was surprisingly soft, but he could see slight tears in her skin around her nails. Biting them, maybe? His brow crinkled, still unable to stop blaming himself for everything that had happened. In the back of his mind he knew it wasn't really his fault, how was he supposed to know Naraku was coming around? His thumb traced small circles around Kagome's hand as he let his mind wander.

How could Kagome have let him get that far? Had she truly given up? Why was she walking home at night anyway, where had she been coming from? And what the hell did Naraku have against her, or him for that matter? He sighed, eyes flashing open when he heard a slight groan from Kagome. Her eyebrows knitted together in what he could guess was pain, and his grip on her hand tightened.

"Kagome?"

Ms. Higurashi's hands stilled over Kagome's waist and her eyes met Kagome's moist blue ones. "Kagome…"

"Momma, InuYasha…"

"Shhh, honey I'm here, let me just dress your wounds for you and it'll all be better I promise."

Kagome nodded, letting her head fall back. Her eyes drifted to InuYasha, and she smiled softly. "You're still here."

"Keh."

She squeezed his hand, and his cheeks reddened; his eyes going everywhere but hers. "I'm glad."

He scoffed again, but didn't take back his hand. Ms. Higurashi stood and he raised a brow in silent question. "I'm going to get a sedative from the doctor; I'll be back in about thirty minutes. Take Kagome to her room, she'll be more comfortable there. Oh yeah, there's applesauce in the kitchen though I'm sure it's no good. I burned it."

He nodded, lifting Kagome from the couch and bringing her up the stairs as Ms. Higurashi left. Kagome's head rested against his chest, listening to the faint beat of his heart beating. It seemed a little quicker than usual, though she couldn't ascertain as to why. He kicked the door open and laid her down on her fluffy pink duvet, sitting cross legged on the floor by the bed.

"Go to sleep, wench."

"…Name's not… wench… K'gome…"

Her hand went limp and slid off the bed, her eyes closing in a deep sleep. He smirked, taking the time to look around her room. Yeah, he had been here before but he hadn't really _noticed _it… or how pink it was for that matter. Rosy hues stretched over her walls, encompassing the whole room in a soft aura, so to speak. Pink duvet, pink pillows with slight ruffles on the sides, and soft pink walls, he held back a chuckle.

He flipped his gaze back to the sleeping girl and sighed, running his hand over the soft flesh of her cheek, careful to miss the cuts that traversed it. He nearly whimpered, whimpered because he knew he had let this slip of a girl go unprotected… he cursed himself, standing and walking over to the window and out into the sky.

It was just turning to night, the slight twinkling of faraway stars catching his eyes through the haze of oranges coating the atmosphere. He would catch one of those stars for Kagome, he realized, casting another look back at the sleeping girl. He had to admit, she really was beautiful. A thought he could never admit outside the recesses of his own mind, of course. His insatiable pride could be to blame for that…

He turned back to the sky once more, eyes flashing over to the large tree that stood in the middle of the shrine. Thoughts rushed through his brain, he could imagine Kagome as a young child there, giggling with her mother and-

Father? His brow crinkled and he realized that he had no idea who her father was, or if he was alive, or if she had ever even really had one. Walking to the girl resting on the bed, he stroked her hair back and sighed. "Just what don't I know about you, Kagome?" He whispered, fingers catching single ebony strands and twirling them.

The door clicked open and he snatched his hand back, scooting a few feet away from Kagome before her mother could see. "InuYasha, is she asleep?"

He nodded, trying to keep his cheeks from pinking. She smiled knowingly and he felt them burning, amazed that the woman standing before him was as perceptive as that. "She uh- just fell asleep a minute or so ago."

"And you watched her?" She questioned softly, her eyes twinkling. "InuYasha, I saw you scooting away when I opened the door. Don't act like I don't know something's going on here. Just listen to me, InuYasha, you harm her and I swear…" She left the threat hanging, the fire in her eyes contradicting her soft smile. He gulped and nodded as Kagome's mother tweaked his ear and grinned before walking out the door.

A slight whimper from the bed drew his attention and he was at her side in seconds, eyebrows drawn together in frustration. "Kagome?"

"G'morning…" She muttered with a yawn, stretching her arms above her head, accompanied by a slight wince from the pull of the bandages.

"Go back to sleep wench. You've only had about an hour, maybe." She scowled at him, folding her arms lightly above her chest. She then smiled, her eyes lighting up and her hand reaching out to touch his arm. He felt a blush filtering over his cheeks and he grunted, eyes crossing down at the hand.

"Thank you. I thought you wouldn't come, and I was too scared to do anything so I…"

He interrupted with a scoff, perpetual scowl in place. "Keh. It wasn't a big deal. Just go back to sleep and I'll let you babble on later."

She smiled at him and let her hand slide off his arm and rest under her head. "It was a big deal, InuYasha. Well, I guess I'll get some sleep…" Her eyes drifted closed and he stood, fully intent on heading downstairs to get a batch of ramen while waiting for her to wake again. One foot out the door, he heard her mutter something faint. He grinned, and shut the door behind him, leaning against it for a few seconds before descending down the stairs.

"InuYasha? I take it she's still sleeping?" He blushed and nodded, sitting across from her at the average sized table. He rested his head over his arms on the table, not wanting to tell her mother that she had woken up, nor of the conversation they had had. His ears perked up at the sound of running feet, eyes reverting back to normal size when he noticed it wasn't Kagome.

A young boy entered the room, his brown hair slightly shaggy and his brown eyes sparkling. "Hey mama! Where's Kagome?"

Ms. Higurashi flinched and made a gesture of apology to InuYasha before taking her son by the shoulder and leading him casually into the living room. He could heart faint whispers, but blocked it out and paid his attention to the old man running towards him with a white script in hand. He jumped up and dodged the sutra easily, a slight growl emitting from his mouth. "What the fuck?"

"Demon! It's a demon I say!" The old man's eyes were wild and he kept waving his sutras around, each successfully _missing _InuYasha. Their "game" continued for about ten minutes before an expertly aimed lamp hit the hanyou on the head, and a roll of socks hit the old man.

"InuYasha! Grandpa! What are you two doing?" Kagome yelled from the top of the steps, one arm clutching her stomach and her other leaning against the rail for support. He could see a tinge of red on the bandage wrapped tightly around her stomach and flinched, at her side in a matter of seconds. "Doesn't matter what we're doing; get the hell back in bed!"

He turned to steer her back in her room, but she kept her feet firmly planted, a scowl on her face and her eyebrows drawn together. "No! I feel fine! I want to go get some food! It's not like I'm pregnant or something, geez!" She pushed her way past him, making her slow departure down the stairs. He threw his head to the sky and scowled, glaring at the ceiling like it would fix everything.

"Wench! Get the fuck back here; you're not supposed to be up and around! You're practically ripped in two!"

She turned back towards him, her ebony hair swinging around her head in its whiplash-like turn. "Oh I'll show you ripped in two if you don't shut up and let me get something to eat! I'm telling you, I'm fine!"

He crossed his arms defiantly, running down the stairs and cutting her off before she could enter the kitchen. "You want food? I'll bring you some! But get your ass back in bed! You can't be up, and don't you dare tell me you're fucking fine!"

"I'm fine, InuYasha!"

"No you're not!"

"Am too!"

"Am not! Now shut up and go to bed!"

"No!" She screamed, ignoring the pain in her stomach. At the moment, she felt like she _was _being ripped into pieces, but her stubborn side wouldn't dare let her show her pain. She knew it was silly, but she wouldn't let the prideful hanyou across from her win this battle. "I want some food, now let me pass or I swear I'll stick the first thing I can see up your butt!"

"Shut up you guys! You're acting like little kids!" Souta yelled as he came in the room, eyes moist with unshed tears. "Kagome, I'm glad you're okay, and InuYasha, I'm glad you were there to save her. Can we all just get along now?"

InuYasha scoffed. _'With that attitude, it's a miracle this kid's not gay.' _As if reading his thoughts, Kagome turned and scowled at him, hands folded over her chest. With a stubborn lift of her head, she whirled around and stomped up the stairs, ruffling Souta's hair before she did so. InuYasha gave one last scowl, before following her up.

"InuYasha? I think we need to talk." She muttered, twisting her fingers together, just as they entered the bedroom.

_**A/N**_

_**The next three chapters should be coming fairly quickly possibly all at once because they're already completely mapped out, and all I have to do is write them. Well, I might combine them into one big chapter. Hm.**_

_**MMorg Reviewer Responses**_

_**Unistar: yes, InuYasha did really do it with her friends, kinda odd but yeah, he did. I hope everything else was answered in this chapter. As for Sesshoumaru hating Naraku… well you'll just have to wait and see ;**_

_**FFnet Reviewer Responses**_

_**La vixen de amor: Thank you for the nice review, it made me smile : Haha, English sounds fun bahaha, I've got AP human geography. ughh**_

_**Allmightychloe: Yeah the whole broken spirit thing bugs me too, I just can't imagine Kagome being all depressed for a long time, it's just not in her nature. : **_

_**If I didn't get you, I know I didn't get everyone thanks for reviewing, the reviews make me happy :**_


	9. Warhead

Chapter 9: Warhead

**Chapter 9: Warhead**

**Warhead: OTEP absolutely **_**amazing **_**band! Check them out ;) **

**Oh, by the way, there's still quite a bit to go! It's not over yet! :**

InuYasha raked his hands through his silvery white tresses, unsure of how to react. Kagome seemed fidgety, and she told him she wanted to _talk_, how the hell was he supposed to comprehend the meaning of that? He gave a terse nod, clicking the door shut behind him.

"What the hell do ya wanna talk about, wench?" He growled out, hiding his fear she would say something like she never wanted anything more to do with him because he let her get hurt or something like that. She blushed, her soft blue eyes rising to meet his gold ones. He could see the conflicting emotions passing through them: _anger_, _sorrow_, _confusion_, _frustration_, _joy_, _peace_, _hope_. The first four confused him, but the other three gave him an inkling of hope that trickled through his body. He sat down next to her on the duvet, sinking into the soft material.

"You didn't let me finish what I was saying, before I went to sleep earlier," She said, idly twirling her black strands around her fingers. He opened his mouth to cut her off, but she held up a hand to stop him. "No, let me talk. When you took back that promise to… protect me, I-I-I was… I don't know how to explain what I was feeling. I just… I just didn't feel _secure_. And then when I called you, I was so busy thinking of whether you would come or not, I didn't sense Naraku coming up behind me. He must have known too, why else would he come _then_?

And then when he took me, I was just so terrified to purify him, and they just… never came out. Normally, when I'm threatened, they do, but I just couldn't call forth any power in me. And then when I knew he was going to…" She paused, hesitant at remembering this little detail that hurt so much, "…rape me, I thought there was no way you would come for me, and I couldn't get my powers up, so I just let myself go unconscious. It's not that I gave up, I just…"

She paused, refusing to look into his eyes that she knew were on her. His baritone cut through her scattered thoughts, jerking her head up to look into those amber eyes she was trying to avoid all of a few seconds ago. "Wench…" He muttered, coming out a little more affectionately than he had hoped, "next time don't believe me when I say something stupid like that. Don't ya know, I can't just take that back? With me, it's forever. Remember that, stupid girl."

She smiled at him, idly running a finger over the bandage on her cheek. Times like these, she cherished them. She knew it was hard for him to open up, something she wondered about. Why? There was so much about him she still didn't know. "InuYasha, I was thinking… your parents… they aren't really your parents are they?"

He was quiet for a few seconds, finally speaking in a voice so low she had to strain to hear it. "No. My dad died when I was born, and my mom remarried. When she died shortly after, my stepdad remarried. I just think of 'em as my real parents, they're been around for my whole life pretty much."

"Your, uh… step-dad, he's certainly… charming." She muttered; a memory of the first night she had come to his house playing through her head. A blush rose to his cheeks and he smirked, the memory drifting through his head as well. Though he hadn't been present at the time his step-dad had so rudely _welcomed _Kagome into his house, his mother had told him and the thought still brought a chuckle. "That's dad for ya. He's different around my mom though, all romantic and stuff."

She wanted to continue probing him, it was a once in a lifetime chance that she got to get this deep in his soul, but her conscience was telling her not to be nosy. Ignoring it for a few seconds, she asked a question that had been bothering her for a while. "Kikyo…" His head shot up at the softly uttered name, and she could see his hands clench into fists. She blushed, trying to gather up the courage to ask the remainder of her question.

"Do you… do you still love her?"

He blushed deeply, playing with the fibers sticking out of her bedspread. "I-I'm not sure I was ever actually _in _love with her. I loved her, yeah… but it's different now." Refusing to say what his mind pressed him to say, he closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, a gesture she took correctly. He was done.

But still, there was one more thing… she had thought of it the other day, and it had irked her since. "Kouga… he's a wolf."

He cracked an eye open, a bemused sort of look in his eye that was staring at her. "You think wolf-shit did it? The wolf that… did it was grey. Besides, I know Kouga's scent anywhere, and I would have recognized it. The only thing that makes me think of puking willingly."

She scowled at him, leaning back on her wall, close to him. "Why do you hate him so much?"

"Because he's an asshole and he only gets with girls for a fuck."

She tilted her mouth to the side in an amused sort of expression, her cerulean eyes twinkling. "Like you're that much different."

"I haven't fucked anyone since your three buddies."

She glared at him, a cool, calculated glare that nearly made him get up and run out of her house as fast as his legs could take him. "I still don't see why you had to do that."

"Lighten up Kagome, no big deal. Why does it matter who I fuck, you jealous?"

Her glare turned downright cynical and she was on her feet in seconds, jabbing him in the chest with her index finger. "Jealous? You think I'm jealous?" Her tone was even, her face completely calm save the fire sparking in her eyes. "I think you should leave InuYasha."

Sensing purification worse than the last time if he didn't leave, he reluctantly stood and rambled out the door, tossing one last word over his shoulder before he left. "Bitch."

She threw her arms up in disgust, waiting until she heard the door shut to storm downstairs and sit in the kitchen. The phone rang as soon as she walked in, and noticing her mother's full arms, grabbed the device.

"Higurashi residence?"

"Um… is Kagome there?"

Her eyes widened in shock and she held the receiver out and stared at it blankly. Shaking her head, she put the receiver back and regained her composure. "Houjo?"

"Hey Kagome. I was wondering if maybe you were free this Friday night…"

Still in a blind rage from InuYasha's words, she found herself nodding and speaking without her own approval. "Sure Houjo, pick me up here at 7?"

She listened to his excited, hasty response and hung up the phone, glaring at the handheld device like it would bite her if she turned her back. "Oh why did I just do that?"

"Probably because deep down you wanted to get back at InuYasha."

"Mama?" Switching her gaze to her mother, she raised an eyebrow in question. "Well, Houjo asked me out for this Friday, and for some reason I said yes. I just don't know mom… he's just not my type. I mean, I know he's interested and all, but really… he's kind of… boring. And I'm still all bandaged up, when he sees that he'll just turn right around anyway."

Her mother chuckled, setting the laundry baskets she had been holding on the table. "Or he'll run back to his house to pick you up some medicines and come running right back."

Kagome groaned, and she stood stick straight. A thought had popped in her head and her eyes were wide in wonder. "Mama… I'm a miko, so…"

"Yes?"

"And mikos heal… others, I was wondering if it would be possible if I could… heal myself." She murmured, staring out the window into the starry sky.

"It could work. Perhaps a visit to Kaede tomorrow morning?"

Kagome nodded, running upstairs as fast as she could without pain, which was basically a snail's pace, to go to sleep. She felt like it was the night before her birthday, when she wanted to sleep for the next day to come, but she couldn't sleep because she was too _excited _for the next day to come. She sighed and stared at her ceiling, her body enveloped in a pink cocoon.

'_I think Mama was right… I did want to get back at InuYasha. And to think he thinks I'm _jealous_! No way! Jealous as the scissors are of the paper, maybe.' _Her conscience pricked at her mind and she sighed again. _'Well…maybe a lot jealous. I mean… he can be so rude and perverted and arrogant an-an-and… he can also be sweet and kind, and…heroic. I think I just might like him. A lot.'_

InuYasha could see Kagome lying on her bed from his perch in the God tree that stood in her shrine. He wondered what she was thinking about and closed his eyes in disgust. There he went… pissing her off all over again. Damned if he hadn't really screwed up this time. The smell of wolf-shit wafted through his nostrils and he jumped down immediately, golden eyes scanning his surroundings to see if he could see the beast.

"Kouga!" He whispered, loud enough for demon ears but too quiet for human ears to discern. A ruffling in the bushes and Kouga perked his head up, at InuYasha's side in seconds. "Mutt-face? What the hell are you doing here?"

"What's it matter to you, ya mangy wolf? Get the hell out of here!" He could feel his anger rising, and his voice grew louder. He took a few seconds to calm himself, who knows what would happen if Kagome saw the two of them fighting? "You come to spy on her again, wolf?"

"Doesn't look like I'm the one spying. Why else would you be here?" InuYasha growled, lunging at the wolf. Kouga dodged, taking off down the shrine steps. InuYasha followed, wanting a good fight, but not wanting Kagome to see it. Or in their case, _hear _it.

Thirty minutes later and still racing with Kouga, his nose caught the scent of a _lot _of wolves. He cursed Kouga silently; he was leading him into wolf territory! His irrational side kept him going and he forced his reasonable side out. There would be snowflakes in hell before he gave up this fight.

They both skidded to a stop in the middle of the grounds and InuYasha turned his claws on Kouga, ready for an all out battle. "You would fight me here, mutt face? My wolves would eat you alive!"

Before he could retort, a redhead with striking green eyes emerged, wearing a white pelt similar to Kouga's brown one. She nodded in greeting at InuYasha, before turning to Kouga. "Kouga, you brought a dog?"

"Shut it, Ayame." She scowled at him and her pigtails swirled as she turned her head stubbornly. "Don't you dare tell me to shut it, I am your intended! Remember your promise?" She yelled at him, hands on her hips and looking almost as menacing as Kagome when she was pissed.

"What the hell, wolf? You're hittin' on Kagome when you're fucking engaged?" He growled out, noting Ayame's shocked look.

"Kouga! You son of a bitch!" Kouga growled at the term Ayame used and spun to face her. "Don't even think about saying that word in front of me again, Ayame!"

She opened her mouth to yell something back, when a gorgeous wolf emerged from the cave. Sleek grey fur and flashing golden eyes, paws immaculate… InuYasha growled deep in his throat, eyes flashing to red. Her muzzle rose in the air to sniff, and she turned towards him, giving him a growl of her own.

"Shiba, what are you doing?" Ayame said, running over to the wolf. The wolf didn't even look at her, its fangs bared menacingly at InuYasha. "Do you two know each other?"

Shiba snarled, jumping forward, claws flashing. InuYasha dodged, using his arm to slam the wolf down on the ground. It yelped and before he could catch himself, Kouga's fist slammed into his face.

"What the hell, mutt?" He yelled, eyes darting between the wolf that was struggling to rise and the hanyou whose eyes were blood red and ragged markings appeared on his face. His growl was guttural, teeth elongated. Kouga took a few steps back, having no idea what was going on with InuYasha.

"You killed Kikyo, three years ago." InuYasha snarled through his teeth at the wolf, who was growling at him, hair bristled like a scared cat. "You'll fucking pay!" He lunged, not noticing Ayame's scream of terror. His claws ripped through a mat of fur, coming out the other side covered in blood. The wolf fell, dead, onto the ground, blood seeping onto the ground beneath it.

Ayame roared, turning to face InuYasha. "You killed my sister, you bastard!" Kouga was shocked at her language; she was normally such a happy-go-lucky girl. Her green eyes were narrowed intently on InuYasha, who still didn't look the same. A quick sniff had Kouga taking some more steps back, grabbing Ayame and pulling her back with him. He sat her on the rock, lunging at InuYasha and throwing a punch hard enough to knock him unconscious. He stared down at the half-demon, teeth bared. Somehow, someway, the mutt had gone full demon.

He picked InuYasha up, wrinkling his nose at the scent. In a whirl of dust, he was gone.

A rap on the window jerked Kagome from sleep. Groggy eyed, she meandered to the window and opened it, not expecting what she saw. Sure, InuYasha was there, which is what she expected, but Kouga was holding him in one arm. Her eyes widened and she made room for the two non-humans. Kouga threw InuYasha on the bed roughly, sitting down cross legged on the floor.

Kagome's shock wore off, and she rushed to InuYasha's side, completely forgetting about the bandages wrapped all around her. "What happened to him?"

Kouga shrugged. "I dunno. He saw some wolf and got all pissed off, turned into a full demon."

Kagome's back stiffened, and she turned curious eyes on Kouga, who was eying her bandages. "A real wolf or one like you?"

"Real. What are those bandages from?"

She tensed up again, avoiding Kouga's question. "Kikyo…" She muttered under her breath. "How long have you had the wolf?"

"Eh, around six years or so. About three years ago, she ran off, and she came back about a year ago."

'_Three years ago! That must be the wolf that killed Kikyo! No wonder InuYasha got so mad!' _"Did he… hurt the wolf?"

"Her older sister's bawling her eyes out, if that answers your question. Now Kagome," He stood, grabbing her hands in his own, a wolfish smile on his deeply bronzed face. "Why don't you be with me instead of that mutt who can't keep his temper? Is he the reason for those bandages?" He demanded, grip tightening on her hands.

Her eyes were wide in shock, and she turned back towards InuYasha. There was no way… she tore herself from Kouga's grip and sat down by InuYasha, running her fingers over the jagged marks on his cheeks. Kouga harrumphed and stood against her wall with his arms crossed.

"Inu…Yasha…" She whispered, and amber eyes cracked open to gaze at her. "K'gome?"

She idly traced the markings, not daring to look into those golden eyes that were staring so intently at her. He jumped up, releasing a guttural growl at Kouga. Kagome retaliated in something akin to fear, the way he was behaving was almost… like a rabid animal. His eyes flashed red, blue irises and the markings darkened.

She grabbed his arm, intent on stopping him from killing Kouga. "InuYasha! Stop it!"

He let out a loose growl, his voice deep and raspy when he spoke. "Kagome, stay out of it."

"No!" She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, her cheek resting against his back. "I don't like you like this, InuYasha…"

Kouga growled; standing and flicking off the hanyou before jumping out the window. Kagome felt like _'The Exorcist' _was being played out in her room, and InuYasha was the one possessed. She whimpered and she felt him relax in her arms, turning to face her slowly. The markings were a little faded, though still apparent, and his teeth and eyes had reverted to normal. "Kagome…What the hell just happened?"

_**A/N**_

_**Woooo another chapter out, next be should be soon! :**_

_**Tink**_


	10. Every Heart

Chapter 10: Every Heart

**Chapter 10: Every Heart**

**BoA: Every Heart such a pretty song, you should check it out, if you haven't heard it already**

Squinting her eyes at the bright sun permeating through the forest canopy, Kagome turned towards her mentor. "I was just wondering, if a miko can heal others…shouldn't I be able to…" She trailed off, biting her lip nervously.

Kaede smiled, resting a knowing hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Yes child, ye should be able to heal yourself given the circumstances. But I must warn ye child," She said, catching Kagome's gaze, "it is a very tedious process, and it will exhaust ye for quite some time. I have never had to perform the ritual myself, though I wouldn't recommend having InuYasha in the area with ye."

Kagome nodded absently; contemplating over the information she had just been given. So there shouldn't be anyone she knew in there with her… and her stomach churned at the thought of just what the ritual was. Healing others wasn't so hard, just a little tiring, would healing herself be so much different? "What is the ritual exactly?"

"Oh it's not much different from healing others, child, so there is no need for ye to worry. Just having others in the presence might be a little distracting, that's all. I don't know the ritual verbatim, but there is a scroll in my office with the correct actions. Come by tonight or tomorrow morning and it will be prepared for ye."

Kagome nodded, coming to the clearing in the forest where they normally parted. Muttering goodbye to the elderly miko, she skipped off, wondering just when she would perform this ritual… it couldn't be tomorrow since she had the date with Houjo-

She smirked mischievously. She knew it was bad, but she _really _didn't want to go with Houjo anywhere, and she would be exhausted anyway… so she wouldn't _technically _be lying, just leaving out parts…

She finally arrived at the shrine, her plan forming in her head. She had just climbed the steps when her oh-so-beloved Grandfather came running out the door. "Kagome! Come help this old man clean the store room!"

She sighed; shoulders slumped, and dragged herself to him. "Sure Gramps." She muttered; taking the broom that was held in his outstretched hand. She followed him, knowing she might be too exhausted tonight to have enough energy to get exhausted all over again tomorrow.

Kagome finally flopped down on the plush bed two hours later, ignoring her growling stomach. If she was going to do this right, she needed to be well rested.

'_And well fed.' _Her mind chastised. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and closed her eyes, dreaming of stubborn hanyous and cocky youkai.

Kagome yawned and stretched, trying not to drown out the voice of her mentor. But really, _she was just so tired_.

"Kagome. Ye did not get enough sleep last night." Kagome bounced out of her stupor and shrugged. "I'm sorry, Kaede, my grandpa made me help him clean the shed." Kaede sighed, walking towards Kagome and resting her hand on her head. As she muttered a small incantation, Kagome felt her energy restoring, and her eyes popped open with new vigor.

"What was that? I feel… like I just drank 50 energy drinks…"

Kaede smiled, the crinkles around her aged eyes becoming more defined. "Now, come child, we shall start the procedure."

Kagome crinkled her brow, a new thought surfacing in her head. "Wait- couldn't _you _heal me?"

Kaede shrugged. "I could. But ye must understand, child, a miko will not always be there when ye are in need of healing. It is only fitting that ye learn how to heal yourself now."

Kagome sighed and nodded, following Kaede to a small clearing. "Alright, stretch your hands in front of ye."

Kagome did as told, feeling the small tingling at the back of her shoulders telling her to put her arms down. She ignored it, taking a deep breath and waiting for the next command.

"Now, the rest ye must do on your own. Concentrate on healing yourself; ye must focus all your attention on it! Call forth the powers and feel them flowing throughout your body…"

Kagome tried to keep her hands from fisting as she felt the magic seeping through her; she felt tingles all over her skin, almost like when a body part falls asleep, but in a good way. She kept her mind cleared, and she felt white-hot pain seeping through all her wounds. She bit her lip trying to block out the pain and tensed her muscles. The pain receded slowly, down to a low burn.

The pure air whistled through her veins and up her throat, coming out of her mouth in icy breaths. In a flash of a few seconds, the pain was gone. She opened her eyes to see something flaring around her, a white fog that was misting away quickly. She lowered her arms and raised a hesitant hand to her cheek, feeling only soft skin. Her eyes widened and she lifted her shirt, seeing only the faintest scar of the word that had been etched there, _protect_. It would forever serve as a reminder of fatal mistakes, for both her and InuYasha.

"Kaede?" She called, looking around for the elder that had seemingly disappeared. "Kaede? Oh gosh, Kaede are you alright?" She ran over to where the old miko was laying against a tree, beads of sweat falling from her wrinkled forehead.

"Ye… the aura… fog…"

Utterly confused, Kagome reached out and touched a warm palm to Kaede's clammy forehead. "What did you say? What about a fog?"

"Child, there was a white fog, surrounding ye… so strong… I don't understand…" She trailed off, her voice fading to a low murmur.

"I…I saw a fog too! It's normal, though… right?" Her eyebrows knitted together, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. What if she did something wrong? Could there be some new disease coursing through her veins and on its way to kill her right now because of this white fog? She groaned in curiosity barely restrained- what on earth was it?

"I don't know, child. Perhaps ye should research it…" Kaede trailed off again with a yawn, her eyes drifting closed. Kagome removed her hand from the elder's forehead, placing a barrier around the sleeping woman. She got up and turned for home, her body drained from the overall process of healing. With every step she took, she felt herself becoming more and more exhausted; stopping to catch her breath at the first tree she arrived at. She leaned against the old willow, unable to stop the fatigue that climbed over her body. She let her eyes slip closed and slid to the ground languidly, letting sleep take her over.

She woke up nestled against something warm and hard, two strong arms wrapped around her stomach. She opened her eyes and grinned, tilting her head back to look at InuYasha's sleeping face. They were up in the God Tree, his arms around her waist and her body between his legs. Her back was to his chest and he had one leg draped listlessly off the branch, the other bent beside her.

She half-turned, one hand braced against his chest. He looked so peaceful in sleep, all his angry lines diminished. Really, he looked so different when he wasn't yelling about the first thing he felt like- namely her. His charcoal eyelashes splayed against his cheeks in a soft arc, his lips partly closed in his slumber. She leaned in; her own lips only a millimeter or so away from his.

"Wen-" She cut him off as her lips touched his, his words coming to a cessation in his throat. The heat of his lips beckoned her in as she gave him soft pecks, his hands adjusting her hips so she straddled him, his arms wrapping tightly against her back. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as their lips glided against each others in a slow dance, her tongue probed at his lips in a soft plead for entrance. He invited her in, his tongue catching hers and wrapping around it, gliding back out to come dance again.

Her tongue traced over his fangs, the weapons in his mouth that she knew he would never hurt her with. He growled low in his throat, a smooth rumble that entranced her. Her fingertips splayed over his chest, the muscles barely confined within his haori. His hands gripped her to him, holding her close and driving her to the brink of insanity. She gazed at him through half-lidded eyes and he smirked at her. "Wench," He murmured, "I thought you were a prude."

She chuckled, leaning down to kiss him again. Sure he could be perverted and she had a feeling that ninety-nine point nine percent of the time his mind was thoroughly rooted in the gutter… but there was something about him…

"Kagome?"

Her head snapped up and she tumbled out of the tree, InuYasha barely catching her before she hit the ground. "What the hell do you want, Houjo?" He growled out, arms tightly wrapped around Kagome's lithe waist. She extricated herself from his grasp, turning to look shyly at the devastated boy.

"I'm sorry Houjo…"

"Why didn't you just tell me you didn't like me, that you liked him?" She bit her lip at his softly uttered words, taking a hesitant step towards him.

"I…I… I don't know. I didn't want to hurt you I guess, is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" She ignored InuYasha's _humph _from behind her and crossed her arms in front of her sheepishly.

Houjo shook his head, his light brown hair falling over his eyes. "No… just be my friend and don't lie to me again, okay?"

She nodded slowly, waving goodbye to the boy. Once he was gone, she turned back to the irritated hanyou behind her. "I feel bad."

"Keh. Damned that Kouga can't be that easy to get rid of."

She sighed, tilting her head skywards. "I know. But, can we not worry about Kouga right now?"

He nodded. "Fine."

"InuYasha… the hanyou saved her last time, I presume?"

The woman nodded, her red eyes glinting in malignant rage. She didn't like the hanyou in question, but she hated the hanyou who had so much control over her more. "Can't you just leave them alone, Naraku? I would like a break too, you know." She spat out, one hand on her hip as the other idly toyed with her fan.

"Leave them alone? I suppose I could… that's actually a fairly good idea, Kagura. But I have better things in mind. Maybe I'll pay one last visit to the human wench."

Kagura shook her head, spitting at the ground by his feet and storming out of the room. She made her way down the dank hallway, stopping at the lone door. She sighed and checked to see she wasn't being followed before knocking and entering.

"Kohaku."

The boy looked up, his brown eyes devoid of any emotion. He had regained his memories, but had kept the skill to keep his features impassive to trick Naraku. The more Naraku didn't know; the better. "Naraku still trusts you, right?"

"Yeah."

"Alright… tell me everything he's told you so far on his current plans."

Kohaku gave her a soft smile, standing and leading her to a shadowed corner in his small room.

_**A/N**_

_**Sorry for the longish update/short chapter, but I've been busy. It's Saturday and I've got like seven 50 problem long geometry honors assignments due Monday! Ughhhhh, anyone wanna do my homework? Hahaha, wishful thinking.**_

_**Review. **_

_**  
Questions/comments? Go here **__****____**www.rworks.**__** It's where all my other fanfictions are listed, and where I talk about other stuff, I'm gonna update it in like two seconds so GO and check it outtt. See you there, homies. ; **_


	11. A Shot In The Dark

**Chapter 11: A Shot In The Dark**

**A Day To Remember: A Shot In The Dark absolutely fantastic song**

Kagome tucked a stray hair behind her ear and sighed, leaning forward to look at the hanyou in front of her. "You almost done, InuYasha?"

"Keh! Give me a fucking minute, wench." She smiled to herself, reaching up and grabbing one of his dog ears she found so adorable. He jumped, dropping what he had been working on in the process.

"Damn Kagome! Can you leave me alone for one minute? Geez, woman." He didn't say it with as much force as he meant to, and hoped she didn't notice. He stole a glance at her grinning face, still staring up at his ears. She didn't seem to have noticed, but he didn't understand why she was so obsessed with the ears she had been playing with for the past hour or so. He was still amazed that she could see them when he was hiding them, and he wondered just what else about Kagome was so intriguing, what else captivated him so much…

She giggled lightly, grabbing the light furs on the inside of his twitching ear. He growled low, turning around to glare at her. His insult caught in his throat, however, when he saw the bemused smile on her face. Her eyes had a soft light to them, and there was a pretty blush riding her cheeks. He felt his own cheeks heat up, not daring to look in her eyes.

"You're done?"

"Keh." He grumbled, shoving the crude object in her outstretched hands. She giggled, holding it against her chest and kissing his cheek. He darkened even more, uttering a low grunt.

"It's just a stupid toy."

"It is _not _a stupid toy! That was my favorite stuffed animal, and you fixed it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He sighed. He had only done it because he was the reason it had broke in the first place…

"_What's this stupid old thing?" InuYasha asked, grabbing a small teddy bear off of Kagome's bed. He held it above his head, dangling the thing by its leg. Kagome gasped, jumping forward and tackling him. The stuffed animal caught on his claw when he fell, and a large rip was made through the side._

"_InuYasha! That was my favorite stuffed animal, Mr. Teddykins! How could you?"_

_Unable to fire back a nasty insult, given the pitiful look in her eyes, he sighed and grabbed the small teddy bear. "Keh. I'll fix it, don't you worry wench."_

"_Really?" She asked; eyes alight with excitement. He sighed, turning and sitting in her desk to fix it with his claws._

"_Keh."_

And thus, he had been doomed to an hour of Kagome playing with his ears while he tried to finish the damn thing. It wasn't _his _fault his claws were so sharp, and it definitely wasn't his fault that she had tackled him. How was he supposed to know "Mr. Teddykins" was a prized possesion?

"It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't tackled me." He muttered, eyes astray. No answer. He looked up, biting back a growl when he saw how empty the room was. He fixed her toy and she _left_? He grunted. She really was ridiculous.

"InuYasha!" Her voice called to him from downstairs. He sat stubbornly, if she had left him then she should come back! He wasn't some little puppy that would follow her around everywhere… he smirked. Bad pun.

"InuYasha!" She called again, her voice rising in pitch. He crossed his arms tighter across his chest, his feet firmly planted on the floor under his knees. There was no way in _hell _he would submit to her whims this time…

"InuYasha get down here right now!"

His fangs dug into his bottom lip and he dug his claws into his palms, ignoring the slight trickle of blood resulting from the pressure. He was curious about what she wanted, but if she needed him so badly, she could come up here. He could envision her downstairs, possibly in the kitchen, tapping her foot and staring at the stairwell with her eyebrows furrowed in an angry line. The thought nearly made him laugh.

He loved to make her mad, he really did. There was something about her scent… it became headier, stronger, more irresistible. Her entire aura reeled him in, merging with his in an angry tangle. Her eyes would spark, the blue in them darkening and lighting with a trace fire. He loved the adrenaline too, making her mad enough to subdue him in her frustration, but he had to admit, it was worth it.

"Osuwari!" The command came unexpectedly, and he hit the ground facefirst. He growled, his body still tight in his Indian-style position he favored to sit in. He untangled his arms, marching down the steps and nearly barreling into the girl whose hands were placed firmly on her thin hips.

"Are you deaf? I called your name like five times!"

"Three." He amended, a smug smirk on his face. "Now what the hell do you want?"

"I made you ramen. I'm surprised you didn't smell it." She said softly, biting her lip and glancing down at the ground. "I wanted to thank you… for Mr. Teddykins… and for everything else."

He scoffed, shoving past her into the kitchen. She made him ramen all the time, what was the big deal this time?

His breath caught in his throat when he saw the masterpiece she had created. There were three full pots of ramen on the table, and there was even a ramen _cake_! He figured she must have done the cake earlier, since there was no way she could have done it in a matter of five minutes… he grinned at her graciously and ran to the table, diving into the heaps of the food.

"Does the cake taste okay? I made it a little while ago, after the whole… incident with… _him_." She said, still chewing on her lower lip. He glared at her.

"Keh. Obviously or I wouldn't be fucking eating it."

"You eat everything." She pointed out stiffly. He scoffed, swiveling in his chair to look at her. There was a deep pink flush resting on her cheeks, and her eyes were downcast. Her bottom lip was stuck in between her teeth, and her arms were crossed, almost like she was distancing herself from him.

"Hey." She looked up, cheeks darkening in hue. "What's up?"

She pasted on an overly-bright smile, her high voice betraying her lies. "Nothing! I'm fine, really! No need to worry about me! Now, just eat your ramen! Really, eat it! It's good, I swear! I tried some, I think, but I made more, honest! I even-ˮ

He cut her off, standing and putting his hands on her shoulders. "Kagome, shut up and tell me what the fuck's bothering you."

"There's nothing…"

He growled, grabbing her and hefting her over his shoulder, throwing open the door and heading to Goshinboku, ignoring her squeals of anger. He jumped into one of the branches, setting her in front of him. "Go."

"I… I just…," Once she started, she was like a fountain, spewing out all her feelings like she was confiding to her diary, "Mymomoncetoldmetheonlywaytogettoaman'sheartisthroughhisstomachandIwantedtogettoyourheartsoImadeyouyourfavoritefoodand-," She took a deep breath, preparing to talk again. "So I made you that in g-gratitude."

His mind had entered lock-down mode before she took her pause. What was she talking about? _'She wants to get to… my heart? With food?' _

"I know it was stupid, so justforgetIsaidanythinganddon'tmentionthiseveragain."

It wasn't stupid, it was almost… _nice_. When was the last time someone had gone through this much trouble to get his acceptance? Never. Not even Kikyou had done this… Kikyou. He hadn't thought about her in a while. At the thought of her, all his vicious memories attacked his mind and he winced, grabbing Kagome and jumping from the tree. He knew he shouldn't be leaving her right now, but how could he hold a serious conversation with her if his mind was plagued with thoughts of his ex-girlfriend?

"It wasn't… stupid."

"Kikyou, right? She's why you can't be with me. You've said it yourself, how you don't want to be in a real relationship because you're afraid you'll hurt someone else. Like I told you before, I don't think you would. How were you supposed to know there would be a wolf coming out on your human night?"

His eyes flashed and he paced back and forth, muscles tense. "Why the hell did I take her out on my human night? I couldn't protect her on my human night!"

"But you didn't know there was going to be a wolf…" She supplied, hand reaching out to lightly rest on his forearm. He balled his hands into a fist, emitting a low growl.

"I should have been prepared, dammit. Besides, ain't it just a little bit weird that the only time we get attacked is my human night?"

"It could have happened to anyone InuYasha. Don't beat yourself up over this. You're only human." She paused, blushing slightly. "Human-_minded _anyway."

"It doesn't matter. I fucking ran away. Why her life instead of mine? Neverfuckingmind, you don't get it."

"Inu…," He bared his fangs before she got to finish, growling and taking off down the shrine steps. She sighed, leaning back against the tree that had always held her answers. "Yasha…" She slumped to the ground, bringing her knees to her chest. What would it take for her to convince him? Things like that don't happen more than once, and besides, she was sure he had learned from his mistakes.

But really, she couldn't blame him. She thought about how she would feel if something like that happened to her. The human mind is a guilty mind, and she was sure his mind was constantly chastising him for leaving Kikyou that night, instead of staying there and dying with her.

But in a sense, she was glad he did. Otherwise she wouldn't have met him. How selfish… she bit her lip, tilting her head to look through the thick branches of Goshinboku into the starry sky. How could he use her like this though? He kissed her, and he knew her feelings on that. A kiss wasn't just a kiss, it was a _kiss_. Something Kagome didn't like to hand out to just anyone… and to think that InuYasha had been her first, and then would say he didn't want a real relationship?

She knew his feelings of the heart might be contradictory to those of the mind, but still… maybe, just maybe, she wanted to be selfish for a change. Was it so bad to want him for herself?


	12. Whispers

Chapter 12: Whispers

**Chapter 12: Whispers**

**Whispers: All That Remains**

**A/N: I'm looking at 21 chapters, so we've still got a ways to go. The whole story has been officially mapped out, I'm so proud of myself, it took forever : Well anyways, REVIEW. Do you know how much it blows to get like a bunch of hits and maybe three or four reviews? I'd rather you didn't flame me though, but constructive criticism is okay. Thanks to my beta, by the way! Well, if I didn't stress it enough before, REVIEW! :**

InuYasha had finally left. She missed him already, and found herself thinking about him; his bashful smile, his gorgeous amber eyes, his hair- which was as soft as it looked, his _kiss_. She missed that the most. Brief and chaste, they were, but there was some sort of hidden passion in them, lurking beneath the surface, and warming her heart. A rap on the window drew her attention and she sucked in a sharp breath, her hand clutching her chest as she whirled around in the chair to face her intruder.

There was a smug grin on his features, his eyes twinkling as he gazed upon her pajama-clad frame. Her cheeks darkened and she bit her lip, forcing her gaze to the ground.

"Kouga." She whispered, glancing up to see his cocky grin widen, his hands resting in the pocket of his denim.

"Hello, gorgeous." He said huskily, kneeling down to face her completely.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, knowing he could smell her fear- and was probably reveling in it- but it was steel determination not to let it show through her slightly shaking voice.

"Can't drop in for a little visit?"

Her mind was racing as she looked at him, questions floating through her mind like dynamite. Why was he here, especially _this _late at night? And why did something about him just feel… different?

"H-how did you get here?"

"What are you talking about, Princess? I ran. What the hell is this place anyway?"

"A shrine, now go back!" She whisper-yelled, trying not to wake her mother, who would be quite shocked to see a wolf demon in her bedroom- a 19 something year old wolf-youkai with a bulge in his pants and the look of pure lust in his cobalt eyes at that.

"Why not? I followed you so I could make you my woman without that damn mutt intruding!"

"Keep your voice down! Kouga… I don't want to be your… woman, I just want to be your friend. Isn't that enough?"

"The fuck it is! That piece of shit mutt's been messing with your head! He's got you thinking that _I'm _the bad guy! I love you!" He yelled, his voice hitting terrorizing new heights. Anytime now…

"Kagome?" Her mother peeked through the doorway, her brown eyes widening as she did so. "W-who is that?"

Kagome's cheeks darkened and she sighed, swiveling in her chair to better see her mother, and hopefully hide Kouga's "sheer joy" that was so well shown through the tight blue jeans he had on.

"Mama… this is Kouga. He's a boy who goes to my school."

"Yeah, I'm just here to make amends with my girl!" He said proudly, putting his arm over Kagome's lithe shoulders. "I was actually just about to leave."

Mrs. Higurashi sighed doubtfully and looked over at her daughter, who looked "clean" enough. With a short nod she left, clicking the door shut in her wake.

"Damn your mom's cool. Anyway-ˮ

"Wait, did you mean what you said about… making amends?"

His smile turned downright cynical as he turned her in the chair, his hands resting on her penguin-covered knees. "Cute pajamas." He muttered, eyeing her lustfully, his lips curved into a slight smirk.

She now understood why he didn't feel right, and the stark realization nearly stopped her heart in her chest. "Naraku!" She screeched, kicking him between his legs and jumping up off the chair, with a glare.

He smirked, darting out to catch her by the wrist and pull her flush against his chest. His hand clamped over her open mouth, stifling her screams. She brought her elbow back, slamming him right between two ribs, hearing the _whoosh _as the air whistled through his lungs, coming out of his breath in ragged gasps. He fell to his knees, his eyes bleeding red, his true color.

She screamed, her voice cracking as he knocked her to the ground and pushed himself on top of her. The door slammed open and InuYasha came in, shouting angry curses as he did so.

"Naraku, get the fuck off of Kagome!" He screamed, using his body weight to shove Naraku off of her.

"InuYasha…" She breathed, an ethereal smile brightening her features.

"Move!" He shouted, and she stumbled across the room into the arms of her mother, whose tears were running down her cheeks as she held her.

"I thought you said that that boy's name was Kouga…" She said, her arms wrapped tight around Kagome.

"It's Naraku. I'll explain later!" She extricated herself from her mother's grasp, arms open to catch InuYasha as he fell back from one of Naraku's hits. He grunted, using the force of her arms to propel his fist into the bottom of Naraku's chin in a swift uppercut, successfully breaking Naraku's jaw.

Naraku grinned, despite his jaw, and Kagome's eyes widened as she noticed something. No wonder he wasn't hurt!

"InuYasha, get back! It's not Naraku!" With a snort, he obliged, stepping back to stand by Kagome's mother.

Kagome latched onto Naraku, her veins burning as the purification powers surged through her. A small wooden puppet clattered to the floor and she fell back to the floor in a heap, sweat running in beads down her face.

"That bastard!" InuYasha yelled, lifting Kagome off the ground. His right arm supported her upper back, his left holding her under her knees. Naraku's voice cut through the silence.

"_You honestly thought I would waste my time with the likes of you? Pathetic." _He said, his voice smothering her room with a dark aura. The aura left as soon as it came, though, and Kagome cracked an eye open to stare at InuYasha's face.

"Thank you…"

InuYasha scowled. "Keh."

"Now, Kagome, how on earth… how did this 'Kouga' fellow become whoever 'Naraku' is?"

"I ain't human. Naraku's a hanyou like me," Kagome noticed his frown when he mentioned that Naraku was the same as him before he continued, "and he wants Kagome. So does wolf-shi- er, Kouga. Naraku posed as Kouga to get Kagome to talk to him, and the stupid wen- er, Kagome, fell for it and… yeah, you get it now."

Kagome held back a smile at InuYasha's rushed explanation, making mental note to compliment him on that later. With a stricken face and an odd nod, her mother trudged out of the room, shutting the door behind her with a soft _click_.

"InuYasha…"

"What, wench?"

She blushed and twiddled her fingers together, looking everywhere but him. "I want to thank you."

"Keh. Again? For what?"

She met his eyes and smiled ever so slightly, her hand lightly touching his arm as she spoke. "My mother… she's gotten a lot better since she's met you. I think she knows that I'm… happy… with… you." She muttered meekly, her eye darting across the room as he stared, shocked, at her.

'_She's… happy… with _me_?' _

"Keh."

"I'm serious, InuYasha. You remember… the first time you met her she was barely unable to move, and now, well now, I think she's recovering."

InuYasha shook his head, pulling Kagome to him in a now rare hug. His attitudes had changed, gone was the filthy perverted façade and here came the _real _him, the side of him he hadn't showed anyone in three years… if not longer. To be honest, Kikyo didn't always see the full side of him either, he felt like he was always hiding something, never being completely _whole_. She had wanted him to become human. Kagome… well, she didn't. But to be honest, there was something he needed to tell Kagome. Now.

"She's not recovering."

"W-what?"

"She's dying, still."

"Wh… no… there's no… what?"

"Dammit wench, are you fucking deaf? She's just acting like this so you won't worry about her. She reeks of death."

A lone tear followed the contours of her face and she sighed, leaning onto him and inhaling his masculine scent. "And here I thought she was recovering so well… how much time does she have?"

"Three months or so."

She gulped, her stormy blue eyes latching onto his gold ones and she searched for any semblance of comfort he could offer. She found it in his arms and eventually turned her gaze away. "My eighteenth birthday is in three months." She whispered, trying to keep her voice from cracking. He sighed, pulling her closer still and lightly touching his lips to the top of her hair.

"She's doing this for you, Kagome. She's trying to put up a brave, happy face so you won't see that she's getting worse."

"H-how do you know?"

He paused, and she wondered if he heard her. Finally, he spoke, his voice so soft she had to strain to hear it. "Cause you do the same thing, wench."

She smiled between her tears that threatened to fall and she looked up at him, his eyes were staring at a point beyond her head, his head turned slightly westward. There was a dull glaze resting over his amber eyes and she knew he wasn't facing her so she couldn't see. He did care…

"You wanna get out of here?" He said after a pregnant pause, his eyes clear and boring into hers.

"And go where?"

"To my place, if you want I guess. My bastard brother's coming home."

"You've changed." She said, instead of answering. He looked confused, his brow furrowing as he looked at her. "I mean, when I first met you, you… were different looking, I guess. Now… I haven't seen you wear eyeliner or your lip rings since the day I met you."

He grinned. "I outgrew that phase. But if you liked it… I could always go back…" He said with a crooked smile and she laughed, feeling better already. Sure, her mother was dying, but was it so bad to want to live life to the fullest before that fateful day?

"I like the way you look now, thanks."

He gave her the slightest of smiles and let her take his hand, leading her out of the house and down the road to his. His mind churned at the thought of his bastard brother being there, but he noticed the odd semblance of peace Kagome got in his house, something that wasn't there in her own. And right now, wasn't the best thing for her mind to be at peace?

_**A/N**_

_**So this is about halfway over, as I've already addressed at the beginning of this chapter… the epilogue's already written not yet revised, and I personally like the ending. Gahhh I need to stop. Anyway, like I said, I'm thinking about 10, 11.. more chapters til the end. I'm trying to get them out as quick as possible :**_

_**www.rworks.**___


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